Women’s dietary diversity changes seasonally in Malawi and Zambia

Objective: There is growing recognition of the role that seasonality plays in agricultural production, expenditure, food security, diet quality and nutritional status, however, annual or bi-annual surveys may not capture seasonal or intra-seasonal shifts in dietary intake which can inform agriculture and nutrition policies, programming, and monitoring and evaluation.
Design, Setting and Participants: Seasonal variation in diets of women of reproductive age (WRA) living in rural Malawi and Zambia were measured bimonthly for eleven rounds, from September 2017 to May 2019. Trained enumerators collected data on a sample of 200 women using a qualitative 24-hour list-based recall of food items consumed, based on the ten food groups for Minimum Dietary Diversity of Women (MDD-W).
Results and Conclusion: There were significant seasonal fluctuations in the percentage of women achieving MDD-W, ranging from a low of 18% to a high of 82%. MDD-W followed expected fluctuations, peaking during harvest season and lowering during lean season, however, there were unexpected highs and lows at other times, demonstrating the importance of regular monitoring. The study demonstrated significant seasonal fluctuations in the proportion of WRA achieving MDD-W, having implications for project monitoring and evaluation. The research provides evidence of periods of abundance and scarcity for nutritionally important food groups.