Keding, G: Linking nutrition security and agrobiodiversity:

This cross-sectional sequential study investigated the link between vegetable diversity available
("production¿) and dietary diversity of women ("consumption¿) in three different districts of rural
Tanzania. Furthermore, the relationship between the nutritional health status of participants and
cropping and dietary diversity was analysed.
The study was carried out during three different seasons within one year (2006/2007) in 18
villages of three districts in north-eastern and central Tanzania including 252 women. The survey
included an individual interview on vegetable production, food consumption (i.a. 24h-recall, 7drecall
on vegetables) and nutritional knowledge, and the measurement of body mass index (BMI),
haemoglobin (Hb) for iron status and different parameters for vitamin A status. Besides studying
single nutrients, food groups and health problems, also a more holistic view was taken on dietary
diversity/food variety and dietary patterns and their relationships with nutritional status and
vegetable production. Relationships were investigated both through bivariate correlations and
multiple regression analysis; dietary diversity and food variety scores were calculated and dietary
patterns were generated through principal component analysis (PCA) as well as cluster analysis.
Regarding the link between production and consumption, there was a clear relationship between
vegetable diversity produced and diversity consumed, while this was not so clear between
production and consumption quantity, except for single seasons. Influencing factors on consumed
vegetable quantity were suggested to be seasonality; the purchase of additional vegetables
(especially exotic) next to home-grown ones; and knowledge, attitudes and preferences of women
regarding vegetable consumption. When analysing food patterns, no direct association between
diversity of vegetable cropping and vegetable consumption was established. Yet, for the study
population in Tanzania it