Homestead Food Production and Maternal and Child Dietary Diversity in Nepal: Variations in Association by Season and Agroecological Zone.

BACKGROUND

Suaahara, a large-scale integrated program, aimed to improve diets and nutritional status among women and children, in part by facilitating enhanced homestead food production (EHFP).

OBJECTIVE

This study examines associations between EHFP and maternal and child dietary diversity and variations by season and agroecological zone (AEZ): mountains and terai.

METHODS

We used data from household monitoring surveys (n = 2101 mothers; n = 994 children, 6-23 months), which included a 7-day dietary recall and maternal report on participation in 5 EHFP activities-received vegetable seeds, chicks, and technical support and participated in training and EHFP groups. We constructed binary variables for each activity and a scale (0-5) summing participation. For dietary diversity, we used the Women's Dietary Diversity Score using 10 food groups and 7 food groups for child diets. Multivariable linear regression analyses were used to assess associations between EHFP participation and dietary diversity by season and AEZ, controlling for potential confounders and clustering.

RESULTS

In adjusted models, we found positive associations between dietary diversity and chicks, technical support, and EHFP beneficiary groups; the magnitude of the associations varied by season and AEZ. The degree of participation in 5 EHFP activities was positively associated with maternal dietary diversity in the terai (β = .24, P < .001) and mountains (β = .12, P = .01) and child dietary diversity in the terai (β = .35, P < .001) during the winter. No associations were found in the rainy season.

CONCLUSION

Our findings highlight the potential for EHFP to address dietary diversity constraints among this population. Variation by subnational setting and seasonality suggest that policies and programs should be contextualized.