Dietary Behaviour and Sociocultural Determinants of Dietary Diversity among Rural Women of Reproductive Age: A Case of Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

Women of reproductive age have specific nutritional requirements due to pregnancy and lactation. Little is known about the sociocultural determinants of dietary diversity among women of reproductive age. This study assesses trends of dietary behaviour and associated determinants of dietary diversity of women of reproductive age. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the Amhara region of Ethiopia in 2019. Using multistage systematic random sampling, the dietary diversity of n = 421 women of reproductive age was assessed by a qualitative 24 h dietary recall. Descriptive analysis revealed characteristics of dietary behaviour and a chi-square test enabled the identification of associated determinants of women’s dietary diversity. Only about a quarter (26.8%) of the women consumed five or more food groups per day and met the minimum dietary diversity score (MDD-W). Drawing on the socioecological framework, at an intrapersonal/individual level, women’s education, age, perception of nutritious diet, and frequency of consumption of animal-sourced foods, vegetables, and fruit were significantly associated with MDD-W. At an interpersonal/household level, the husbands’ education, women’s decision-making regarding food purchase/consumption, the family’s actual eating occasion, and women’s engagement in domestic and farming tasks were significantly associated with MDD-W. At a community level, access to clean water and especially cultural beliefs were significant determinants of MDD-W. Amharic proverbs and sayings prioritise men and pose severe restrictions on women regarding food allocation. The majority (76.7%) of women of reproductive age practise frequent religious fasting, relating to the institutional/national level. This undermines efforts to support healthy dietary behaviour of women of reproductive age. Indepth studies on religious and cultural practices are needed, to assess not only their negative effects on the dietary diversity of women of reproductive age but also on women’s lives.

Does government food demonstration intervention influence household dietary diversity in the Upper West Region of Ghana?

“…For example, many of the Waala ethnic groups are Muslims, and consuming vegetables and fruits heightened during Ramadan, possibly contributing to high dietary diversity. The results are consistent with the study conducted by Alamirew et al in rural Ethiopia, which concluded that cultural beliefs and ethnic backgrounds play a significant role in shaping the dietary preferences of households [ 66 ]. Additionally, the Waala ethnic group dominates petty trading in the region.…”

Dietary Diversity and Its Contribution to the Magnitude of Anaemia among Pregnant Women: Evidence from Rural Areas of Western China

“…Using one 24 h recall period provides an assessment of the diet at the population level and is useful for monitoring progress or performing interventions [25]. Moreover, compared with longer timeframes for recall, a 24 h period was chosen as it may be less subject to recall error and less cumbersome for a respondent, and also conforms to the recall time period used in many dietary diversity studies [23,[25][26][27]. Then, based off their answers to the questionnaire, we computed a Women's Dietary Diversity Score (WDDS) for each participant.…”