Dietary Diversity is Associated with Food Security among Farmer's Childhood in Lombok Tengah

Abstract

Background: Nutrition at children under five-year stage is crucial for growth and development. Dietary choices are common determinants caused by a set of underlying factors such as household food insecurity and dietary diversity. This study aimed to determinate the prevalence of food insecurity and dietary diversity among farmer’s children from 6 to 59 months.
Method: Cross sectional study was conducted on 359 children aged 6-59 month. A multistage cluster sampling method was used to select the study participants. This study was carried out used data on food security and dietary diversity. A validated structured questionnaire was used to collect data on sociodemographic characteristics, food security and dietary diversity
Result: The majority (97.4%) of children respondent had good dietary diversity. Subject’s who are food secure tend to have good food diversity. Children under five years respondent had mean dietary diversity score of 5.3 food groups. In adjusted analysis, statistical correlation was found between several food groups and food security status, like meat, poultry and this product. The results revealed the household food security determine adequate food intake for children in the community.
Conclusion: Household food insecurity and dietary diversity was unacceptably less and good respectively among farmer’s children. The food security that resides in highland and are involved in subsistence most vulnerable to food security and their produce consumed less varied diets as they had lowest dietary diversity score.