DETERMINANTS OF DIETARY DIVERSITY: EVIDENCE FROM FAISALABAD, PUNJAB

Abstract

The Household Dietary Diversity Pattern (HDDP) demonstrates the households’ economic ability to access variety of foods during a given period of time. Different food groups are defined as household that consumes during a specified period. HDDP as indicator of food security can be influenced by a variety of socio-economic factors such as age, size, family type, education, income of household and gender. This study aimed to investigate the factors affecting household dietary diversity patterns among households in the district of Faisalabad, Punjab. To measure HDDP score twelve food groups (ranging from 0-11) were selected. The cross-sectional survey was used to select a suitable number of respondents. A questionnaire was developed according to the rules of the Food Agriculture Organization to seek data from the respondents. Dietary diversity has been classified into three classes: low, medium, and high, on the basis of consumption of different food groups used in the daily diet. Hence it is a qualitative measure of food consumption so logistics regression was employed. The result showed that gender, type of house, household size, age, family income and sources of income are the most important significant factors with dietary diversity score. On the other hand only family type had the insignificant relation with dietary diversity score. More income, higher education and female headed house had more diet diversity. The study suggested that proper awareness should be created about how to maintain balance of diet and balance of population.