Household food insecurity and dietary diversity of women of reproductive age among smallholder farming households in northwest Bangladesh

Food Insecurity is Associated with Low Dietary Diversity in Rural Women in Mexico: Results from the Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey, ENSANUT 2018

Rural women suffer greater vulnerability to food insecurity (FI) compared to their urban or male counterparts. We analyzed the association between food security (FS) status and dietary diversity (DD) in rural women through data from the Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT) 2018 from 2,099 rural women. DD was measured using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. FS was measured using the Latin America and Caribbean Food Security Scale (ELCSA). The prevalence of any level of FI was 70.1%. Mean DD score was 3.8. Mild FI was associated with low DD (OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.06, 2.10). Results highlight the need for government strategies targeted to this population sector to improve their diet quality.

Understanding vegetable farmers' adoption, dis-adoption, and non-adoption decisions of pest management by pheromone trapping

The use of pheromone traps can minimize the excess application of synthetic insecticides, while can also benefit the environment. The use of pheromone traps has been promoted and suggested to vegetable farmers of Bangladesh for widespread adoption. However, the majority of farmers have continued to spray insecticides instead of using pheromone traps. The present study investigated the factors influencing farmers' adoption, dis-adoption, and non-adoption behavior of pheromone traps for managing insect pests. Primary data were collected from 438 vegetable growers. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regression. About 27% of the farmers abandoned the technique shortly after it was adopted as it was time-consuming to manage insect pests. Marginal effect analysis revealed that the likelihood of continued adoption was 34.6% higher for farmers who perceived that pheromone traps were useful in controlling insect pests. In contrast, the likelihood of dis-adoption was 16.5% and 10.4% higher for farmers who maintained communication with private pesticide company agents and neighbor farmers, respectively. Extension services by government extension personnel might be encouraged and maintained as a key component in increasing farmer awareness regarding the use of pheromone trap. Strategies to promote pheromone traps in vegetable production should highlight the positive impacts to farmers and the environment, as this would most likely lead to their continued and widespread use after initial adoption.

Impact of COVID-19 on Micronutrient Adequacy and Dietary Diversity among Women of Reproductive Age from Selected Households in Bangladesh

Women of reproductive age (WRA) are recognized as a nutritionally sensitive demographic that is vulnerable to micronutrient deficiencies. The purpose of this study is to determine the situation and influencing factors of diet diversity and micronutrient adequacy during the pandemic-induced economic lockdown period among women living in a selected area of Bangladesh. Twenty-four-hour dietary recall was used to measure the nutrient intake and also used for constructing the Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women (MDD-W) and nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR). Household food insecurity and coping strategies were also measured. Multivariate logistic regression was carried out to identify the link between potential risk factors and MDD-W. About two-thirds (59.9%) of the study subjects did not meet the MDD-W threshold. The women's total energy and protein consumptions were 1475.1 kcal and 46.3 g, respectively, with the diversified diet group consuming more than the non-diverse diet group. Except for vitamin C, vitamin A, and vitamin D, all micronutrients evaluated in the diversified diet group had significantly higher NAR values than the non-diverse diet group. The mean adequacy ratio (MAR) of the overall reproductive women was 0.468 ± 0.096, and it was significantly associated with MDD-W. Another notable finding is that attainment of minimal diversity was not sufficient to achieve acceptable nutrient adequacy for women, pertaining to their low-quantity intake. In addition to this, household size, women's education, coping strategy, and the MAR were found to be significant determinants of MDD-W in the multivariate logistic regression analysis. The findings of the present study therefore highlight the impending need for interventions that ensure good dietary quality for women even during crisis periods.