ABSTRACT

 Nutrition security goes beyond the concept of access and availability of food, and encompasses the use and utilization of food in quality and quantity, as well as the distribution of food within a household. Food security is affected by many factors, either at a national, regional, household or even individual level. This study was aimed at assessing the household food insecurity and anthropometric status of school aged children in Ubakala, Umuahia South Local Government Area Abia State. A total of 207 children were randomly selected because of the large amount of children in the community using a structured questionnaire that is comprised of personal, socioeconomic, food security and anthropometric characteristics. Data were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS version 22.0. There were 58.5% male and 41.1 % female. Some (44.9%) of the subjects had fathers were civil servant, very few (0.5%) of the respondents fathers were bankers and okada riders. Some (11.6%) and many (42.0%) of the subjects had mothers and fathers who earned N 31, 000 and above. Most (63.2%) of the studied households were food secure as only some (36.8%) were moderate food insecure. The coping strategies for improving household food security adopted studied. A vast majority (79.7%) of the subjects adopted subsistent farming as a coping strategy while (13.5%) respectively adopted borrowing also (6.3%) adopted loan as coping strategy, however few (0.5%) adopted government assistance. Subsistent farming was adopted by majority of the subject as few adopted borrowing, loan and other assistances this could be because of the fact that this study was conducted in a rural area unlike elsewhere in an economically vulnerable. A little above half (52.9%) of the male subjects and some (47. l %) of the female subjects were moderately stunted. Moderate stunting (41.2%) was more among children 8-9 years but lower (23.5%) in children 6-7 years. This result of this study showed that a little above half of the male subjects and some of the female subjects were moderately stunted. Underweight and wasting was prevalent among other males and females. In household food insecurity, many of the studied household were food secured as only some were moderate food insecure. In coping strategy majority adopted subsistent farming as only few adopted borrowing, loan and government assistant as coping strategy.