Effects of COVID-19 on dietary behavior of urban consumers in Nairobi, Kenya
The disruptions wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic on food systems worldwide have endangered food and nutrition security for many consumers. The resource-poor, especially those in urban areas, are more susceptible to pandemic-related disturbances. This study uses primary data collected from 2,465 hous...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2022.718443/full |
| _version_ | 1798030350930149376 |
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| author | Christine G. K. Chege Kevin Onyango Joram Kabach Mark Lundy |
| author_facet | Christine G. K. Chege Kevin Onyango Joram Kabach Mark Lundy |
| author_sort | Christine G. K. Chege |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The disruptions wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic on food systems worldwide have endangered food and nutrition security for many consumers. The resource-poor, especially those in urban areas, are more susceptible to pandemic-related disturbances. This study uses primary data collected from 2,465 households located in and outside of informal settlements (slums) in Nairobi, Kenya to assess how COVID-19 and related public-health measures have influenced diets of urban consumers, their purchasing patterns and overall food security. Questions about food security and consumption behavior, including household dietary diversity scores, were used to capture the pre- and mid-pandemic situation. The data show that low-income households in the informal settlements were more affected than middle-income households. About 90% of slum households reported dire food insecurity situations, including being unable to eat preferred kinds of food, eating a limited variety of foods, consuming smaller portions than they felt they needed, and eating fewer meals in a day. With a score of four food groups out of nine, household in the informal settlements have lower dietary diversity than middle-income households, whose score is five out of nine. The consumption of nutritious foods, including fruits, vegetables, and animal products, fell among people living in slums during the pandemic. In addition to assessing dietary changes, this study highlights the factors associated with quality food consumption during the pandemic period such as household income levels and male-vs-female headed households. Our research demonstrates the need to attend to slums and vulnerable, poor consumers when enacting mitigation measures or designing and implementing policy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T19:38:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e1cc7ebab71d43ba8dc075df89d11201 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2571-581X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T19:38:56Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems |
| spelling | doaj.art-e1cc7ebab71d43ba8dc075df89d112012022-12-22T04:06:45ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems2571-581X2022-10-01610.3389/fsufs.2022.718443718443Effects of COVID-19 on dietary behavior of urban consumers in Nairobi, KenyaChristine G. K. Chege0Kevin Onyango1Joram Kabach2Mark Lundy3Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Nairobi, KenyaAlliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Nairobi, KenyaTwiga Foods Limited, Nairobi, KenyaAlliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Regional Office for the Americas, Cali, ColombiaThe disruptions wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic on food systems worldwide have endangered food and nutrition security for many consumers. The resource-poor, especially those in urban areas, are more susceptible to pandemic-related disturbances. This study uses primary data collected from 2,465 households located in and outside of informal settlements (slums) in Nairobi, Kenya to assess how COVID-19 and related public-health measures have influenced diets of urban consumers, their purchasing patterns and overall food security. Questions about food security and consumption behavior, including household dietary diversity scores, were used to capture the pre- and mid-pandemic situation. The data show that low-income households in the informal settlements were more affected than middle-income households. About 90% of slum households reported dire food insecurity situations, including being unable to eat preferred kinds of food, eating a limited variety of foods, consuming smaller portions than they felt they needed, and eating fewer meals in a day. With a score of four food groups out of nine, household in the informal settlements have lower dietary diversity than middle-income households, whose score is five out of nine. The consumption of nutritious foods, including fruits, vegetables, and animal products, fell among people living in slums during the pandemic. In addition to assessing dietary changes, this study highlights the factors associated with quality food consumption during the pandemic period such as household income levels and male-vs-female headed households. Our research demonstrates the need to attend to slums and vulnerable, poor consumers when enacting mitigation measures or designing and implementing policy.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2022.718443/fullCOVID-19urban poor consumersconsumptiondietsnutritionAfrica |
| spellingShingle | Christine G. K. Chege Kevin Onyango Joram Kabach Mark Lundy Effects of COVID-19 on dietary behavior of urban consumers in Nairobi, Kenya Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems COVID-19 urban poor consumers consumption diets nutrition Africa |
| title | Effects of COVID-19 on dietary behavior of urban consumers in Nairobi, Kenya |
| title_full | Effects of COVID-19 on dietary behavior of urban consumers in Nairobi, Kenya |
| title_fullStr | Effects of COVID-19 on dietary behavior of urban consumers in Nairobi, Kenya |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of COVID-19 on dietary behavior of urban consumers in Nairobi, Kenya |
| title_short | Effects of COVID-19 on dietary behavior of urban consumers in Nairobi, Kenya |
| title_sort | effects of covid 19 on dietary behavior of urban consumers in nairobi kenya |
| topic | COVID-19 urban poor consumers consumption diets nutrition Africa |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2022.718443/full |
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