ASSESSING DIETARY PATTERNS OF POULTRY PRODUCTS AMONG URBANPOULTRY-FARMING HOUSEHOLDS IN UMUAHIA NORTH LOCALGOVERNMENT AREA OF ABIA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study assessed the dietary patterns of poultry products (meat  and eggs) among urban poultry-farming households in Umuahia North Local Government Area ofAbia State, Nigeria. The specific objectives ofthe study were to delineate the socio-demographic characteristics of the urban poultry-farming households, their dietary consumption patterns in poultry products including frequency of consumption of poultry products, determination of monthly expenditure on poultry products and constraints experienced by urban poultry-farming households in the study area. Snowballed sampling technique was used to randomly select ninety urban poultry- farming households from a population of 324,900 in Ndume Ibeku, Amuzukwu Ibeku, Osah Ibeku, Umuagu Ibeku and Afara Ibeku Autonomous Communities, which make up the urban areas of the local government area. A structured questionnaire with close-ended questions was used to collect data for the study and were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The analyzed results indicated a mean age of 41.3 years, percentage majority of the respondents being females (66%), 77.33% were married, 35.18% had secondary education, 40.56% engaged in poultry farming as a primary occupation, 48.88% had an average of 15years experience in poultry farming, 48.88% earned above N100,000.00 annually from poultry farming and have an average family size of 5 persons. Majority of the respondents occasionally consumed boiled chicken meat and egg followed by fried chicken meat and egg, and scarcely consumed grilled chicken meat (from chicken either still on medication or dead chicken). The mean monthly expenditure on chicken products was N4,999.00 while some of the major constraints limiting consumption of chicken products include high cost of retail price of poultry products, low financial status of respondents, limited access to chicken and egg, lack of storage facilities, long distance to market/farm and dietary restrictions. It was recommended that urban poultry- farming households should be assisted with credit facilities, improved and adaptable species of day-old chicks, well informed on the nutritional benefits of regular consumption of poultry products and the health risks of consuming sick or dead chicken meat; and ensure efficient production of safe chicken products.