Gender Analysis of Rural Household’s Food Expenditure Pattern and Household Food Security

Abstract

This study was carried out in selected LGAs of Ogun State, Nigeria to describe the pattern of food consumption-expenditure among male headed and female headed households and identify the determinants of rural households’ food security status. It investigated the characteristics of household heads in these farming households and how these characteristics affect household per capita food consumption as well as household food security status. A multistage sampling technique was used to obtain relevant information from the respondent with the aid of a structured questionnaire. A total of 120 households were selected out of which 71 were headed by male respondents and 49 by female respondents. Data gathered was analysed using descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages, averages, standard error, inferential statistics such as t-test was used to test for significance of difference in average consumption-expenditure figures of different food groups, while the OLS regression model was fitted to determine the socio-economic characteristics of households determining per capita food consumption-expenditure. In determining the determinants of household food security, the logit regression model was fitted. Findings from the study showed that a substantial proportion of the female headed household were headed by those who are legally underage (28.57%). Access to land was a major issue in the study area, with more than half of both the male and female headed households having less than 1 ha of land for farming (50.70% and 55.10% respectively). Household non-food expenditure e(p<0.01), household income(p<0.01) and household size (p<0.01) all positively influenced household per capita food consumption-expenditure. Farm size (p<0.01) was a significant determinant of rural farm households being food secure. The study concludes that underage headship of households and access to land are key determinants of rural households’ food security status and suggests that intervention along the line of increasing access to land for households irrespective of gender, as well as sex education among teenagers and pre-teens, would go a long a way in reducing the incidence of underage household heads.