title: Machakos Project Studies: agents affecting health of mother and child in a rural area of Kenya. Viii. food resources and eating habits of the Akamba household.
abstract: In two ecologically dissimilar locations in Machakos District, Kenya, investigations were carried out on the nutritional state of infants, pre-school children and mothers in two different seasons. The methods applied and findings on the specific age groups are reported elsewhere. The results presented are observations made on factors conditioning the pattern of foods and food availability, food consumption, and household economy. In the year of study, harvests were fair. Corresponding, qualitatively good diets were observed in the two areas during both seasons. The relatively well-off households of small farmers in a mixed economy on the West side, consumed daily maize and beans only partly derived from their own fields. Household incomes, farm-and non-farm alike, were spent largely on the purchase of additional staple foods and milk, vegetables, fat and sugar. The poorer households in the Eastern part derived their daily foods (maize, legumes and milk) for the most part from own production; vegetables, fat and sugar were purchased and required a relatively large part of total income. In spite of the satisfactory food intake pattern, the latter people remain in a vulnerable situation; years of crop failure regularly occur and total income does not allow for increasing expenditure. Similarities and differences in respect of the food pattern now and half a century ago are described. Future prospects and constraints are discussed.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000383:Agriculture; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003296:Cooking; D004463:Ecology; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D005523:Food Supply; D005843:Geography; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya; D008297:Male; D012423:Rural Health; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors