Purchase, consumption, and ownership of chickens and chicken products among households in Maputo, Mozambique: A cross-sectional study

Background

Chickens are an important source of animal protein, nutrition, and income in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). They are also a major reservoir of enteropathogens that contribute to the burden of illnesses among children. Food systems present a risk for transmission of enteropathogens from poultry to humans, but there is a lack of population-level data on the pattern of purchase, ownership, and consumption of live chickens and their products in LMICs to better characterize that risk.

Methods

To assess chicken purchase, ownership, and consumption practices, we conducted a population-based survey using a structured questionnaire in Maputo, Mozambique in 2021. Multi-stage cluster sampling was used to obtain a representative sample of households in our study area. To minimize sampling bias and ensure a representative sample, we applied survey weighting using district-level population data and estimated weighted population-level values.

Results

Heads of 570 households in Maputo completed our survey. Approximately half of these households purchased broiler chicken meat (weighted percentage of households: 44.8 %) and eggs (46.5 %) in the previous week of the survey date, while indigenous chicken meat was less popular (1950, 1.1 %). The most common source of chicken products was corner stores (i.e., small convenience shops on streets), followed by wet markets. Live chickens were raised by 15.6 % of households, and chicken feces were observed on the floor or ground at the majority of these households during house visits.

Discussion

Our findings suggest that poultry provides a major source of animal protein in this setting. Given the predicted growth of poultry farming in LMICs in the coming decades, implementing One Health-based food safety measures at primary sources of chicken products, such as corner stores and wet markets, will be critical to controlling zoonotic pathogen transmission risks.