Assessment Of Household Food Security and Nutritional Status of Mother-Child Pair in Selected Local Government Areas in Ondo State

Abstract Introduction Food insecurity and mixed patterns of malnutrition coexist in rural Nigeria despite the country’s agricultural potential. There is a lack of precise data regarding the relationship between household food security and nutritional status of the mother-child pair in southwestern Nigeria. This study examined household food security and mother-child nutritional status in Irele and Okitipupa Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Ondo State. Methods and Analysis A descriptive cross-sectional community-based survey was carried out with 358 mother-child pairs (children 6-59 months). The Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) was used to measure household food insecurity. Body Mass Index (BMI) was used to assess mothers’ and WHO Anthro Z-scores to assess children’s nutritional status. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests (p < 0.05) were used to examine the data. Results 93.3% of households were food insecure. A striking double burden of malnutrition was observed: 58.4% of mothers were overweight or obese, and child malnutrition was widespread, with 39.3% stunting, 29.1% wasting and 42.1% underweight. Breastfeeding duration (p = 0.008) and introduction of complementary feeding (p = 0.032) were significant predictors of child wasting. Interestingly, maternal education and income were not significant predictors of child undernutrition (p > 0.05), suggesting that environmental and behavioral influences take precedence over individual socioeconomic status in these communities Conclusion The simultaneous presence of severe child undernutrition and maternal overnutrition in rural Ondo State suggests a public health crisis in a state undergoing nutrition transition towards energy-dense, low-nutrient foods. These results suggest that national approaches are inadequate. We need interventions that focus on decentralized, LGA-level policies that integrate food security programs with education on Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF). What is already known on this topic Household food insecurity is a major driver of malnutrition among mothers and children under five in Nigeria’s rural communities. Evidence from southwestern Nigeria shows that over 88% of rural households are food insecure, with women and young children disproportionately affected. However, localized data from specific LGAs in Ondo State—particularly examining the mother-child dyad—remains scarce. What this study adds This study provides the first localized evidence from Irele and Okitipupa LGAs, Ondo State, documenting a 93.3% household food insecurity rate and a dual burden of malnutrition (39.3% child stunting and 58.4% maternal overweight/obesity coexisting in the same communities). It demonstrates that IYCF practices—specifically breastfeeding duration and timing of complementary food introduction—are significant determinants of child wasting, and highlights the limitations of maternal socioeconomic variables alone as predictors of child nutritional outcomes. How this study might affect research, practice or policy For research, this study establishes a dyadic methodological framework applicable to other Nigerian states. For practice, it underscores that nutrition education on IYCF practices must accompany food security programs. For policy, the findings call for decentralized, LGA-specific strategies addressing both rural food insecurity and the emerging nutrition transition—moving beyond one-size-fits-all national approaches to combat simultaneous undernutrition and overnutrition within the same households.