Race, Culture, and Identity

The Effect of Participation in a Pro-Poor Dairy Development Project on Milk Consumption among Reproductive Age Women in Rural Tanzania

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Animal milk is an important contributor to women’s dietary diversity, especially among
pastoral communities where access to diverse diets is limited. While there have been
numerous large-scale milk development projects in East Africa, few examples of propoor
milk collective action projects exist that focus on expanding milk production and
consumption by women. This study reports cross-sectional findings on the association
between participation in a pro-poor dairy development project and women’s milk
consumption in rural Tanzania. Socio-demographic and health-related characteristics
associated with milk consumption were assessed as well. The study utilized data from a
sample of 272 women who participated in two surveys conducted in the Morogoro and
Tanga regions of Tanzania in 2015. Chi-square and Cochran–Mantel–Haenszel analyses
identified factors associated with whether milk was consumed in the previous 24-hour
period. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) identified factors associated with frequency of
milk consumption. Multivariable logistic regression was applied to estimate associations
between program participation, socio-demographic, health characteristics, milk
consumption behavior. Seventy-six percent of women reported drinking milk in the
previous 24-hour period. The mean frequency of milk intake among the control group
was 1.61 times 2.15 times among the intervention group. The adjusted odds of
consuming any milk in the previous 24 hours were 16.1 (95% CI 1.72-150.44) times
greater for Maasai than other tribes. Among Maasai, the adjusted odds of consuming
milk 3-4 times per day compared to 1-2 times per day were 9.96 (95% CI 1.03 - 96.09)
times greater for those in the dairy development group compared to the control. Among
non-Maasai, the adjusted odds of consuming any milk in the prior 24 hours was 3.45
(95% CI 1.07- 11.05) times greater for those in the dairy development group compared
to the control. Milk consumption was greatest among Maasai and communities with propoor
dairy development programs. Findings suggest that participation in a Pro-poor
agricultural intervention to improve milk production may improve women’s milk
consumption and ultimately help to address rural poverty and improve household
nutrition.

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Publication Information

: ., 2018

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Language

English

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Subject(s)

Tanzania
Milk Project
Food and Nutrition Security
Pastoral Women’s Health
Women’s Dietary Diversity
Animal milk

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Article

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