Food insecurity status and mitigation strategies among agricultural students of Federal University Dustin-ma Katsina State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study analyzed the food security status of agricultural students at federal university Dutsin-ma, Katsina State, Nigeria. The specific objectives of the study were to describe the socio-economic characteristics of agricultural students; identify the food security status of agricultural students; determine factors influencing the food security status of agricultural students; and identify the coping strategies adopted by agricultural students against food insecurity in the study area. A multi stage sampling procedure was employed to select 100 agricultural students for this study. Primary data were collected using a well-structured questionnaire. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, individual diet diversity score, inferential statistics, and coping strategy index. The result reveals that majority of the agricultural students were males (80.0%), single (90.0), incurs high cost on transportation (71.0%), and lives off campus (75.0%) in the study area. The result shows that 83% of the agricultural students were moderately and highly food secured, while 17.0% were not food secured. The statistically significant determinants of food security status were sex, transport cost, monthly income and place of residence. Coping strategies adopted were reliance on less expensive food, proper rationing of meals and reduction in the number of meals daily. The study recommends the need to educate agricultural students on the benefits of taking nutritious meals to enhance healthy living in the study area.