ABSTRACT

Micronutrient deficiency has a significant influence on both the health and productivity of a population, micronutrient fortification of staple foods plays a significant role in the prevention and eradication of micronutrient deficiencies in vulnerable populations. The purpose of this study is to determine awareness, knowledge and utilization of fortified food products in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State. The population of the study comprised of 400 respondents, which were selected using a multi-stage sampling procedure. A validated questionnaire was used to elicit information on the respondents' personal and socio-economic characteristics, nutrition knowledge, awareness and knowledge of fortified food products and utilization of fortified food products. Descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentage were used to analyze data on personal and socio-economic characteristics, nutrition knowledge, awareness and knowledge of fortified food products and utilization of fortified food products. Results on personal and socio-economic characteristics showed that majority (58.3%) of the respondents were females while (41.8%) were males. The ages of the respondents were as follows, 18-28 (45%), 29-39 (30%) and 40-50 (25%) years. The educational status revealed that more than half (6 1%) of the respondents had higher education. The test score on the respondents' nutrition knowledge and knowledge of fortified food products showed that 70.8% and 50.8% had excellent knowledge on nutrition and food fortification, respectively. The most frequently consumed fortified food products by the respondents include vegetable oil (87.0%), iodized salt (78.3%), cassava (76.5%) and magi (73.5%) while margarine (14.5%) was the least utilized. Level of education (x2= 61.8, df =9), occupation (x2= 36.6, df = 12) and income (x2114.8, df = 21) had no effect on their knowledge of fortified food products, this could be attributed to either the non-participant of the respondents in nutrition education or a low level of public awareness on food fortification within the study area. Majority of the respondents consumed fortified food products without having adequate knowledge on the fortified food products.