Nutrition education effects on food and nutrition security for women living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda

Abstract

Food and Nutrition Security (FNS) is one of the key global concerns yet in the face of HIV/AIDS, it is compromised. The significance of nutrition education targeted at women in promoting food and nutrition security cannot be overstated, considering their role in ensuring food and nutrition security for their household members. However, empirical evidence on the causal impact of nutrition education on food and nutrition status is limited to the individual level and very scanty for vulnerable groups such as HIV/AIDS-positive women. This study used a large dataset from a randomized control experiment with 3,200 women to investigate the effects of nutrition education on household behaviour and food nutrition outcomes. Results indicate that the intervention results in increasing the individual woman’s labour supply on-farm and diversifying crops grown by the household. Positive influences of nutrition education on dietary diversity are observed but were only significant at the household level. Individual women’s nutrition outcomes were strongly influenced by engagement in an income-generating activity or household’s market participation. As such, blending nutrition education interventions with initiatives that facilitate access to the needed nutritious foods such as on-farm diversification and activities that generate revenues from off the farm was recommended.