Diet Quality and Urbanization in Mozambique

Abstract

Robust income growth combined with the highest urban population growth in the world is driving rapid changes in the food system of sub-Saharan Africa. Demand is increasing for higher quality as well as more processed foods. Countries are increasingly experiencing a double burden of over and under nutrition as the overweight and obesity epidemic spreads. In this context, we seek to understand the key drivers and likely evolution of diet quality in Mozambique, in both its positive and negative dimensions, while specifically examining the role of farm ownership among increasingly urban populations. We use national household expenditure survey data and a set of ordinary least square and analysis of variance regressions to observe patterns of current diet quality across city size categories, household income, household education, and other demographic variables. We then anticipate the likely directions of change in diet quality over these same dimensions based on expected income growth and expenditure elasticities developed for several alternative nutrients. We find that growing incomes and the consumption of processed foods are associated with a worsening of negative factors in the diet. Furthermore, urbanization, controlling for income, is associated more strongly with a worsening of negative factors than with an improvement in positive factors in the diet. The effect on diet quality of farm ownership, however, is positive and significant, primarily driven by these households purchasing fewer unhealthy foods. African cities need to consider what mix of policies will counteract the negative effects of continued urbanization and rising incomes on diets.

Street Food in Maputo, Mozambique: The Coexistence of Minimally Processed and Ultra-Processed Foods in a Country under Nutrition Transition

“…A previously published work by Sousa et al 2018, reporting on analysis of photographic records of the street food vending sites in KaMpfumu, Maputo, showed that processed ingredients, mainly chicken powdered stocks, composed mostly of sodium, were often available for use in culinary preparations [33], and that the homemade dishes most frequently available as street food had concerning values of sodium to potassium ratio, ranging from 1.89 in fried cakes to 11.95 in stewed liver dishes [22]. Findings from this setting also showed that, although traditional culinary practices were still well rooted [8], high consumption of processed ingredients was observed [8,9]. This highlights the importance of implementing public health policies and awareness programs towards the reduction in the use of processed ingredients, not only by street food vendors but also by the general population.…”

“…A study conducted in 2012-2013 on a convenience sample of adults in Maputo also reported that ultra-processed food products, namely chickenpowdered stocks and sugar-sweetened beverages, were frequently used [8]. These findings suggest a shift towards a more westernised food consumption pattern in the country, which have been strongly associated with urbanisation and growing income [9], also having deleterious consequences to this population's health. In Mozambique, total mortality by NCD was 22.8% in 2010, increasing to 28.5% in 2019.…”

From Ampesie to French fries: systematising the characteristics, drivers and impacts of diet change in rapidly urbanising Accra

“…4.1). Several other studies in other urban contexts of SSA have identified this type of diet change away from traditional foodstuff, towards diets higher in protein and processed food (Baker et al, 2020 ; Khonje and Qaim 2019 ; Smart et al 2020 ; Cockx et al 2018 ; Holdsworth et al 2020 ; Rousham et al 2020 ; Auma et al 2019 ).…”

Traditional Individual and Environmental Determinants of Healthy Eating in Vihiga County, Western Kenya

“…Not surprisingly, employment is perceived as the solution to reach ideal dietary diversification, particularly because it is associated with having income and therefore financial access to buy different foods. The need for employment and income has been repeatedly reported in developing countries as a key element for improving diet quality [ 22 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 ]. A deeper analysis, however, recognizes that there are remarkable differences between having steady employment that generates revenues from agricultural trade and the income derived from a salary received from doing precarious farming activities, with the former being the desired income-generating activity.…”