Women's dietary diversity is associated with homestead production and market access: A cross-sectional study in rural Rwanda

Dietary diversity has been widely used as a proxy indicator for micronutrient adequacy. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), including Rwanda, women are at high risk of inadequate micronutrient intake resulting from poorly diversified diets. This study was conducted to examine the factors associated with women's dietary diversity, with emphasis on homestead production diversity and market access in the Northern Province of Rwanda. A cross-sectional design was used, involving 606 women aged 18-49 years. Linear regression analyses were performed to examine the association between various factors and women's dietary diversity. Results show that 84% of the sample households raised at least one livestock species. Seventy-one percent of the households had no agricultural land. Eighty percent of those without land had a homestead garden on which they grew food crops, mainly vegetables and fruit trees. The average crop species was 2.3. On average, women consumed 3 out of 9 food groups. The homestead production diversity score was positively associated with women's dietary diversity score (beta = 0.16, p < 0.001). Women's dietary diversity score was negatively associated with distance from the household to the nearest market (beta = -0.08, p = 0.027) and household food insecurity (beta = -0.06, p < 0.001). Maternal education (p < 0.001), household wealth index (p < 0.05), and ownership of more than 2.5 acres compared to being without land (p < 0.05) were associated with women's dietary diversity score. The dietary diversity of women could be enhanced through interventions that promote the diversity of livestock and crop species produced through homestead production. Potential interventions to explore may include integrated farming systems that combine small livestock and crop production utilising improved livestock breeds and high-quality seeds and planting materials of high-yielding varieties of fruits and vegetables, along with rainwater harvesting to facilitate small-scale irrigation. The impact of such interventions on women's dietary diversity can be further reinforced by parallel programmes aimed at improving women's education and the socioeconomic status of households.