Knowledge and Utilization of Mushroom as a Food Supplement among Families in Selected Local Government Areas of Cross River State, Nigeria

Abstract

The demand for health consciousness to prevent malnutrition, a high risk factor in developing countries especially in the rural areas is increasing. This study was designed to assess the level of knowledge and utilization of mushroom as a food supplement in six Local Government Areas of Cross River State, one predominantly urban and the other five mostly rural. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire from a total of 250 participants. Findings revealed that 178 (71.2%) of respondents had good knowledge of mushrooms as food supplement 205 (82%) utilized them as such, while majority of the participants 243 (93.6%) 20.1% said it is part of the family diet if available. Chi-square analysis showed statically significant association between knowledge and utilization (X 2 cal = 89.62 a , X 2 tab = 3.84; df = 1, p < 0.05). In conclusion, we envision mushrooms as the most cost-effective source of a healthier diet tackling food insecurity, diversification and malnutrition for families in Cross River.

Ethnomycological Survey of Wild Mushroom Species Utilized by the Subanen Tribes in Selected Barangays in Tangub City, Misamis Occidental, Philippines

“…The respondents were interviewed one-on-one. The semi-structured questionnaire was used in the current study and was adapted from earlier surveys (Mgbekem et al, 2019;Alduhisa & Demayo, 2019) with a few minor adjustments. The local vernacular was used to translate the English questionnaire.…”

Understanding the socio-economic characteristics of mushroom hunter communities and various wild edible mushrooms in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia

“…There is a study which found communities that abstain from harvesting forest mushrooms due to insufficient knowledge in identifying edible mushrooms [20]. Therefore, knowledge plays an important role in the utilization of forest mushrooms [12,13].…”

“…Due to their experience, they are certain to have sufficient knowledge regarding the types of edible mushrooms. This knowledge is an important asset for a mushroom hunter to have [11][12][13][14]20,24]. Regarding the role of experience in a business, [25] stated that ample experience in business activities will allow a person to identify problems obstacles that occurred.…”

“…This local knowledge is taught in the family from generation to generation to this day. Studies related to local knowledge about mushrooms have also been carried out in other countries [9,[11][12][13][14].…”

Ethnomycological research in the field of wild mushrooms and medicinal plants

“…The results from a structured questionnaire assessing mushroom utilization by 250 study participants in Nigeria show that 82% of the respondents utilize mushrooms as a food supplement [10]. These mushrooms are the most cost-effective source of a healthier diet tackling food insecurity, diversification and malnutrition for the families in this region of the country.…”