Empirical analysis of Kenyan household diet deprivation through ReDD and human trophic level indices

Abstract

Food and nutrition security remains a global issue, particularly in developing nations. In recent years, this field has garnered significant attention. Despite increasing interest in understanding nutritional quality and sustainability, significant gaps remain in assessing the interplay between dietary patterns, quality, deprivation, and sustainability, especially in Kenya. This study aims to assess dietary deprivation in Kenyan households by integrating multidimensional measures of diet quality, sustainability, and socio-economic influences using the Kenya Integrated Household Budgets Survey (KIHBS) 2015–16 and the Reference Diet Deprivation (ReDD) index. Furthermore, Human Trophic Levels (HTLs) are also estimated to assess the diet's composition and energy intensity. Quantile regression and a two-step structural estimation approach are employed to investigate the socioeconomic drivers of dietary deprivation. Findings indicate that 48 % of Kenya's population is deprived of a diverse and sustainable diet, with higher deprivation evident in rural areas (51 %). Furthermore, the majority of households' HTL scores range from 2.1 to 2.3, i.e., close to the global average indicating an omnivorous diet. Marginalized households consumed a high amount of animal products while lacking essential food groups. The quantile regression results show that affluent households experience lower dietary deprivation but have higher HTLs due to increased consumption of animal products. Larger households and those with lower education levels are prone to food insecurity, whereas food expenditure is critical in reducing deprivation. These findings underline the importance of policies that promote adequate and diverse calorie intake while addressing environmental sustainability, particularly in the most food-insecure regions.