Food purchasing decisions of Malawian mothers with young children in households experiencing the nutrition transition

Abstract

As overweight/obesity prevalence increases in sub-Saharan Africa, information is needed about factors influencing food purchases in households with overweight members. This study assessed food purchasing decisions of Malawian mothers with young children (N = 54 dry season, N = 55 rainy season) among whom the mother, child, or both were overweight. Research assistants completed structured observations of mothers shopping for food during the dry season and of the types and quantities of foods in mothers' homes during the rainy season. After each observation, research assistants conducted an in-depth interview about factors that influenced food purchases, including asking mothers to sort 12 factors into piles that always, sometimes, or never influence their food purchases. Observations showed mothers most often shopped at outdoor markets to buy foods needed to prepare relish, such as tomatoes (71%), green leafy vegetables (58%), cooking oil (58%), and fish (40%). At home, maize flour (80%) and salt (66%) were the most common foods. Pile sorts and in-depth interviews revealed cost, taste preferences, freshness, and healthiness were the strongest factors influencing food purchases. Mothers described buying a smaller quantity or making substitutions (e.g., fish instead of meat) if a food is too expensive. Many mothers reported buying foods their family likes and prioritizing children's preferences. Freshness of foods, especially fruits and vegetables, and whether foods were perceived to be healthy also influenced food purchases, but mothers' knowledge of which foods were healthy was mixed. Mothers used some of their minimal funds to buy unhealthy foods (e.g., packaged or fried snacks) for their children, despite their overall emphasis on food cost and healthiness. These findings can be used by programs to reinforce healthy and decrease unhealthy food purchases by mothers with young children in Malawi.

Milk purchase and consumption patterns in peri-urban low-income households in Kenya

“…This is clearly shown by the differences in the quantities purchased and consumed in households led by either gender. This agrees with findings of Grace and Roesel (2015) and Flax et al (2021) that gender roles vary in sale, purchase and consumption of food from informal markets. They concluded that gendered investigations into knowledge and preferences associated with market and food choices would be vital in addressing food safety and consumption issues at the household level.…”

“…Hence, it is not possible to tell whether the increased milk purchase in better educated households is driven by education itself, or rather by their higher incomes. This also agrees with a study conducted to analyze determinants of purchasing decisions of mothers with young children (Flax et al, 2021).…”

Fish Acquisition and Consumption in the African Great Lakes Region through a Food Environment Lens: A Scoping Review

“…In areas of central and western Kenya with large numbers of commercial fish farmers, consumers reported perceptions of “good quality” to be the main driver of fish purchases, while very few were guided by health attributes or nutritional value [ 46 ]. Women in central Malawi also named quality as one of the top factors driving food purchases—in relation to all types of food, but particularly for fish, fruits and vegetables [ 59 ]. Participants described quality in terms of the appearance and freshness of food items and did not link this with food safety.…”

“…In this review, we have collated and appraised evidence of the extent to which aspects of the food environment—the interface between consumers and the wider food system—mediate fish acquisition and consumption. We found that only two included studies have explicitly applied a food environment framework within their research [ 34 , 59 ]. We examined 33 papers reporting on factors associated with fish acquisition and consumption by populations in the AGLR, which we aligned with five of six dimensions of the food environment [ 3 ].…”

COVID-19 affected the food behavior of different age groups in Chinese households

“…However, their food attitudes and behaviors have a great impact on the family food consumption [ 23 ]. For example, the food preferences of these young people while staying at home with families affect the purchasing activities of family food buyers significantly [ 24 ], including food category, quantity etc. And these people was easily to waste food more frequently and in larger quantities [ 25 ], which has led to a serious food waste in the household level.…”