Household Food Insecurity and Perceived Nutritional Outcomes of Children Aged 4–8 Years in Asari Toru Local Government Area, Rivers State, Nigeria

This study examined household food insecurity and its association with nutritional outcomes among children aged 4–8 years in Asari Toru Local Government Area, Rivers State, Nigeria. A mixed-methods cross-sectional design was employed with a sample of 200 parents (using stratified random sampling) and 20 children (using purposive sampling). Data were collected via structured questionnaires, 24-hour dietary recall, and anthropometric measurements. Food security was assessed through perceived access and dietary sufficiency, while nutritional status was evaluated using height-for-age (HAZ), weight-for-age (WAZ), and dietary diversity scores (DDS). Results revealed a critical threshold effect: all children in severely food-insecure households were stunted (HAZ ≤ –2) and underweight (WAZ ≤ –2), with low dietary diversity (DDS 1–2), while no stunting occurred in food-secure households, which consistently reported high dietary diversity (DDS 6–7). Household food security showed strong positive correlations with maternal education, monthly income, improved water and sanitation, and urban residence, and a negative correlation with household size. Community-endorsed interventions included establishing community gardens, implementing nutrition education programs, and providing healthy food subsidies. The study concludes that child stunting and undernutrition are concentrated in food-insecure households, which are characterized by intersecting socio-economic disadvantages. A multisectoral approach targeting economic, educational, and environmental factors is recommended to break the cycle of food insecurity and malnutrition in this vulnerable population.