Households' dietary habits and food consumption patterns in Hamishkoreib locality, Kassala State, Sudan

Background: Hamishkoreib is among the localities that have suffered most from chronic food insecurity in Kassala State, Sudan. This study was designed to determine the dietary habits and food consumption patterns in this locality. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among 403 households in the Hamishkoreib locality from June 2014 to February 2015. Sociodemographic and dietary information was collected through a modified food frequency questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 16.0 to estimate the frequency of variables. Results: Among 403 households, the incidence of informal education and illiteracy was 93.3%. Charcoal production and firewood cutting as the main source of income was reported by 66.6%. Three meals per day were consumed by 83.4% of households. They depended largely on cereal foods, particularly sorghum in the form of kissra and assida. Milk and dairy products were dominant in breakfast and dinner. Meat was consumed by 67.7% of households just once per week. However, chicken, fish, and eggs were rarely consumed (1.5%, 0.7%, and 19.8% respectively). Most (85.3%) households related poor or rare consumption of these protein- rich foods to culture, while 14.7% related it to financial reasons or illness. These types of food were mainly consumed by men and were not allowed to be consumed by women and children. Tea and coffee were excessively consumed in the morning and during the day. Fruit and vegetable consumption was low. Conclusion: The study revealed consumption of an unbalanced diet with insufficient proteins and micronutrients. There was excessive consumption of tea and coffee, which had a negative impact on food intake and absorption. The paper recommends launching a major nutrition program to encourage diversity of food consumption and to improve the capacity building of households