article · European Journal of Nutrition & Food Safety
A community-based study in Ngozi Province, Burundi, examined food security and dietary diversity among 1,620 pregnant and lactating women with children aged six to twenty-three months. Food insecurity was widespread, affecting 94 percent of households, with 87 percent facing moderate or severe insecurity. Nutritional diversity was critically low, with only 9.2 percent of mothers and 2.4 percent of young children achieving minimum dietary diversity standards. Larger family sizes and agricultural livelihoods corresponded with higher levels of food insecurity. While maternal dietary diversity was tied to education and formal employment rather than overall household food security, child dietary diversity was directly linked to household food access, household size, and maternal marital status. The findings point to a pressing need for integrated interventions supporting rural livelihoods, maternal empowerment, nutrition education, and improved infant feeding practices.
Maternal and early childhood undernutrition causes lasting harm to health and development in low-income settings. By demonstrating that nearly all surveyed families suffer from food insecurity and that fewer than three in one hundred children receive adequately diverse diets, this research identifies critical points of vulnerability. It highlights how educational access, employment, and household demographics shape nutrition outcomes for vulnerable mothers and young children.
The abstract does not indicate an application pathway.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
Introduction: Household food insecurity and poor dietary diversity contribute to maternal and child undernutrition in low-income settings. Aim: This study assessed household food security status and examined its association with maternal and child dietary diversity among pregnant and lactating women in Ngozi Province, Burundi. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,620 pregnant and lactating women with children aged 6–23 months. Participants were selected through multi-stage cluster sampling. Household food security was assessed using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale, while maternal and child dietary diversity were assessed using the Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women and Minimum Dietary Diversity for Children indicators. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify predictors of household food insecurity and dietary diversity outcomes. Results: Food insecurity affected 94% of households, with 87% experiencing moderate or severe food insecurity. Adequate dietary diversity was achieved by only 9.2% of women and 2.4% of children. Larger household size and agriculture-based livelihoods were associated with higher odds of food insecurity, whereas smaller households had lower risk. Maternal dietary diversity was associated with maternal education and formal employment but not with household food security. Child dietary diversity was associated with household food security, household size, and maternal marital status. Conclusions: Household food insecurity and inadequate dietary diversity are widespread in Ngozi Province. Integrated strategies addressing livelihoods, maternal empowerment, nutrition education, and child feeding practices are needed.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.9734/ejnfs/2026/v18i92135
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
