Effects Of Urban Agriculture On Nutritional Status Of Households In Uyo Akwa Ibom State.

ABSTRACT

The study examined the effects of urban agriculture on nutritional status of household in Uyo metropolis of Akwa thorn State. Multistage stratified sampling techniques was adopted in choosing respondents for the study. Data were collected from 60 household involved in urban agriculture and 60 non-farm household with the use of a well structured questionnaire. Data include anthropometric measurement of child height and weight using weight meter and bathroom scale. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, computation of Z-score ad Ordinary Least Square Estimation Technique. The results showed that majority of the households were male headed (66.7%) and the age of respondents were highest in the age range of 31-40 constituting about 65%. The regression result showed that age of child, hours per day of direct maternal care and illness were significant and negative at 1%, 5% and 10% respectively. While maternal education, maternal age and sex of head of household were significant and positive at I %, 5% and 5% respectively in the farm and non-farm-household. Among the constraints to effective urban agriculture were limited access to land, high cost of rent on land, lack of improved inputs and lack of access to farm credit. It is recommended among others that female (maternal) education he encouraged, government should encourage urban agriculture by providing incentives to urban farmers.