Household Food and Nutrition Security in the City of Abeche

Abstract

Households abechois face high food consumption costs that condition different states of food and nutrition security. This study was carried out with the aim of evaluating Household Food and Nutrition Security in the city of Abeche-Chad. A cross-sectional descriptive research survey was adopted for the study and was conducted from 02 May to 30 June 2022 in the seven districts of the city of Abeche. A sample of 213 households and 181 children aged 6 to 59 years old were selected for the study. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire and targeted anthropometric measurements in children aged 6 to 59 years using a scale type Uniscale with 150kg capacity and 100kg/0.1kg accuracy and a locally made wooden measuring board (150±0.1cm). Those data were processed with SPSS version 23.0 and ENA version 2011 software and analyzed using the CARI approach and SMART recommendations. The results obtained show that 11.3% of Abechois households are food secure, 37.6% are in borderline food security and 51.1% are in food insecurity, including 31.9% in moderate food insecurity and 19.2% in severe food insecurity. Anthropometry reveals that 32.8% of children are wasted and 37.6% suffer from stunted growth. These high prevalences testify to the critical situation in which Abechois households subsist. The results obtained conclude that households with deficient food consumption devote more than 75% of their expenditure to food and experience a significant loss of their means of subsistence which leads to an accelerated depletion of their assets.