| dc.description.abstract | A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in the period
between September 1998 and July 1999 to determine the contribution
of sweetpotato to household food consumption in Kasarani Division,
Nairobi. Before this study, little was known about the sources of
sweetpotato consumed, the level of its consumption and the common
methods of sweetpotato preparation among the Kasarani residents and
market factors influencing its consumption. The study was two
sided; dietary study (done on 322 households in the Kasarani
Division), and market study (done on 45 sweetpotato traders serving
Kasarani Division) . Proportionate stratified and systematic
sampling methods were employed to select households and traders.
Data were collected by means of questionnaires, photography,
observation and informal interviews with the respondents.
About 76% of the "dietary study" population consumed sweetpotato,
which were obtained from local urban production, gifts from friends
and relatives and the Nairobi markets. About 74% of sweetpotato
consuming population obtained some tubers from both local markets
and as gifts, 2.8% as gifts only, 1.6% as gifts and also from the
urban production, 3.7% from both market and urban production, and
7.3% from market alone. About 10.6% of the sweetpotato consuming
Kasarani residents relied on the three identified sources while
nobody relied on the local production alone. About 87% of the
population relying on the market for sweetpotato supply spent 3%
and below of their food expendi ture on sweetpotato. The study
population had consumed a median weight of 1 kg, 0 and 1.2 kg from
growing, gifts and market sources respectively, every month. The
sweetpotato consumed by the households contributed greatly to the
households' energy and some micronutrients, e.g. iron and Vitamin
C, but very little to the households' protein, and calcium
requirements. Boiling was the most popular method of sweetpotato
preparation in Kasarani.
Production took place in the kitchen gardens, open undeveloped land
and along the rail and road network. Insect" attacks were the most
prevalent problem encountered by 53.8% of the sweetpotato producing
population, followed by rodent attacks (43.6%) and drought (41%)
among others. Consumers were sensitive to source of sweetpotato,
colour of the skin and of the fresh, cost, size, and surface
defects when making purchase decision.
The association between the frequency of sweetpotato consumption
and households'
significant (p<
socio-economic status was not statistically
0.05, X2= 6.4) Though the study population
consumed sweetpotato, it was not at a high frequency or amount as
probably other foods. Majority of the Kasarani residents consumed
less sweetpotato than the entire Kasarani population's mean. | en |
