The Role of Household Assets in Improving Women's Dietary Diversity in Ethiopia

Diet diversity for women is low in many developing countries including Ethiopia. Production of both food and nonfood crops significantly improved diet diversity for women. Background ENGINE (Empowering New Generations for Improved Nutrition and Economic Opportunities) was a US Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded project implemented in Ethiopia from 2011 to 2016. ENGINE used a multisectoral approach to achieve the goals articulated in the Government of Ethiopia's National Nutrition Plan, among which is improvement in the dietary intakes of women and preschool-aged children. Objectives The objectives of the present research are 2-fold: 1) to document trends in women's dietary diversity (WDD) and 2) to identify factors associated with dietary diversity for women. Methods Descriptive statistics and multivariate, pooled analyses were calculated. Results Results indicate that WDD was low, ranging, on average, from 3.0 to 4.0 (out of a possible 10). Across the time points covered reflecting pregnancy and 1-y postpartum, only similar to 13% to 17% of women met the Minimum Dietary Diversity Score for Women (MDD-W). Conclusions The production of both food and cash crops and the rearing of livestock were significant predictors of improved dietary diversity in women. The focus of ENGINE on a diverse set of agricultural activities improved WDD and MDD-W in a population of women where dietary diversity is poor.