title: Household dietary diversity, vitamin A consumption and food security in rural Tigray, Ethiopia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe: household dietary diversity across four zones in Ethiopia; the relationship between household dietary diversity and consumption of vitamin A-rich foods; and the relationship between household dietary diversity and food security status.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional survey. Data were collected using structured questionnaires in the local language. Household dietary diversity scores measured types of foods households consumed, and households were classified by food security status using a modified version of the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale. An ordinal logistics regression model was created to assess the relationship between three tiers of dietary diversity (low, medium and high) and food security while controlling for agricultural zone, educational variables and household characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rural households in Tigray, Ethiopia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred households in Tigray, Ethiopia, were interviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the households, 23, 47 and 30 % had low, medium and high dietary diversity, respectively. Among households with high dietary diversity, eggs and fruit were the most common foods added to the diet. In the fully adjusted model, participants who reported being food secure had 1·8 increased odds of greater dietary diversity (95 % CI 1·0, 3·2) compared with participants who were food insecure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Food security was positively associated with dietary diversity. In order to enhance health, interventions that improve dietary diversity and vitamin A consumption should remain important areas of focus for health leaders in the region.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Medicine,University of Wisconsin Madison School of Medicine and Public Health,800 University Bay Drive,Suite 210,Madison,WI 53705,USA.
authors.forename: Rebecca J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Schwei
authors.affiliation: 2International Potato Center,Mekele,Tigray,Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Haile
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tesfay
authors.affiliation: 3International Potato Center,Addis Ababa,Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Frezer
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Asfaw
authors.affiliation: 3International Potato Center,Addis Ababa,Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Wellington
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jogo
authors.affiliation: 4Department of Surgery,University of Wisconsin Madison School of Medicine and Public Health,Madison,WI,USA.
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Busse
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D005002:Ethiopia; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D005523:Food Supply; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D012424:Rural Population; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D014801:Vitamin A
keywords: Dietary diversity; Ethiopia; Food security; Orange-fleshed sweet potato; Vitamin A