Drivers of Food Choice among Children and Caregivers in Post-earthquake Nepal

This study analyzes drivers of food choice among children and parents in rural Nepal. It uses qualitative data collected through key informant interviews and focus group discussions with school children, parents and teachers. The study reveals substantial changes in food behavior during the past decade with increased consumption of rice, meat, and highly processed snack foods while an increased consumption of fruit and vegetables is not evident. It identifies cash availability is the main driver of increased rice, meat and snack food consumption. The second driver is the 2015 Nepal earthquake, which accelerated the transition from homegrown food to purchased food as people got habituated to eating more meat and snack foods while reconstruction tripled local wages and changed the food environment. This shows how humanitarian assistance in the wake of extreme shocks can unintentionally contribute to unhealthy eating habits. An integrated school and home garden intervention appears to contribute to healthier diets.PMID:34420456 | DOI:10.1080/03670244.2021.1969925

Source: Ecology of Food and Nutrition - August 23, 2021 Category: Nutrition Authors: Pepijn Schreinemachers Rachana Manandhar Shrestha Bishal Gole Dhruba Raj Bhattarai Puspa Lal Ghimire Bhishma P Subedi Tilman Br ück Ghassan Baliki Ishwori P Gautam Christine E Blake Source Type: research