Influence of Market Access on Household Food Consumption Pattern in Imo State, Nigeria

Aim: Improving access to variety of food items and healthy food consumption pattern at the household level is a sure strategy to eradicating chronic hunger and improving food and nutrition security situation of a country. The present study assessed the influence of market access on food consumption pattern of households in Imo State, Nigeria. Specifically, the socioeconomic characteristics, food consumption and purchasing patterns of selected households in the study area were analyzed.

Study Design: Multi-stage and cluster sampling techniques were adopted to select 792 households across the three senatorial (Owerri, Okigwe and Orlu) districts in Imo State.

Methodology: A well-structure questionnaire was used to obtain information on socio-economic status, market access and food consumption pattern of selected households.

Results: Result revealed low household monthly income of ₦60,000-₦80,000, monthly food expenditure of 37-45% of income and household size of 4-6 members (47%). Regular access to market reflected on the daily (42.37%) and weekly (41.22%) food purchasing habits observed among the households. Starchy-root food products constituted regular breakfast (40.8%) and dinner (55.7%) of households while legume-based food products were minimally consumed as breakfast (9.92%), lunch (14.63%) and dinner (9.03%). Traditional green leafy vegetables (58.52%) and citrus fruits (48.6%) were found to be commonly consumed by the households studied. The food consumption patterns of households predominantly consisted of carbohydrate-rich foods, possibly, due to financial constraints, as indicated by over forty percent (46.44%) of households. The analysis revealed that monthly income did not affect households' market access but significantly (P=0.004) influenced their food expenditure, negatively.

Conclusion: Generally, the study reveals low-income level, regular market access to staple foods and poor food consumption pattern among the households analyzed.

Recommendation: The government urgently needs to support the trading and farming occupation of household heads in Imo State to improve income status and access to variety of food items at household level.