Tropentag, September 18 - 20, 2019 in Kassel "Filling gaps and removing traps for sustainable resources development"

Impact of a Combined Nutrition and Agricultural Intervention on Time-Use and Dietary Diversity of Women Smallholder Farmers in Teso Sub-County, Kenya

¹Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Center for International Development and Environmental Research, Germany
²Egerton University, Department of Human Nutrition, Kenya
³University of Hohenheim, Inst. of Agric. Sci. in the Tropics (Hans-Ruthenberg-Institute), Germany
⁴Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Inst. of Agric. Policy and Market Res., Germany

Abstract

Women constitute an essential agricultural workforce; they play a crucial role in the food provision of the entire household. Research has shown that interventions aiming to improve nutrition security without addressing gender may have adverse side effects and intensify women's fieldwork. Increased time invested in agricultural activities can unintendedly result in inadequate care and nutrition practices.

In June 2016 and 2017 cross-sectional agriculture-nutrition surveys were conducted in Teso sub-County Kenya, targeting 421 farm households with children aged below five years. Minimum dietary diversity score for Women (max 10 groups) and child dietary diversity score (CDDS, max 7 groups) were calculated based on 24h-recalls. Time allocation was assessed based on 24h-physical-activity-recalls of the respondents.

Results were compared across three different groups: nutrition education only (NE), combined agricultural and nutrition education (AGNE) and control. Women of all groups had a mean cooking time of around 3 hours. The mean time for feeding children/breastfeeding was lower than 4 minutes. Mean time spent on children's care increased significantly in the combined intervention group (mean = 13.7 min). NE group and control group also increased the time spend in child care (6.4 and 8.3 minutes, respectively). None of the interventions had an influence on the Δcooking time of mothers. There was a significant difference in Δfarming time between the intervention groups. Changes in Δfarming time were significantly higher in the combined intervention compared to the NE Group. CDDS was not affected by an interaction between participation in the intervention and Δcooking time of mothers. There is also a statistically significant influence of Δeating time of mothers on ΔCDDSs in Kenya.

The analysis revealed that the project had a slight influence on the change of time-use suggesting that gender time-use data is decisive when promoting innovative agricultural approaches.

Keywords: Agriculture, dietary diversity, gender, nutrition, time-use

Contact Address: M. Gracia Glas, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Center for International Development and Environmental Research, Giessen, Germany, e-mail: maria.g.glaszeu.uni-giessen.de