Effect of mothers’ use of information and communication technologies on dietary quality and undernutrition in young children in Kenya

Abstract

Child undernutrition remains a global challenge, with 200 million under-fives suffering from wasting and stunting. Mothers’ access to nutrition and health-related information is critical for improving children’s dietary quality and nutrition outcomes. The use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in low- and middle-income countries is increasing and could improve mothers’ access to this information. This paper examines the effect of mother’s use of ICT on dietary quality and child undernutrition in a lower-middle-income country. The study uses a nationally representative sample of 10,385 children aged 6–59 months extracted from the Kenya Integrated Household Budget Survey 2015–2016. Dietary quality was measured using a child’s dietary diversity score (CDDS), while undernutrition was measured using underweight, wasting, and stunting levels. An instrumental variable approach was used to control for endogeneity of dietary quality and was executed using extended probit and extended ordered probit models. The study found that except for breast milk and dairy products, children of mothers who used ICT had significantly higher consumption of all food groups (P < 0.01). Children whose mothers used ICT had a higher CCDS and nutrient-dense food consumption (P < 0.01). Besides, the study found a significant (p < 0.01) positive effect of mothers’ use of ICT on the quality of children’s diets, with radio having the, most substantial effect. Dietary quality significantly (p < 0.01) and negatively affected the prevalence of being underweight and wasted. Children of mothers using ICT were found to have a significantly (p < 0.05) lower prevalence and severity of underweight and stunting, with the strongest effect resulting from mobile phone use. This research offers novel evidence to policymakers about the importance of incorporating ICT into policies and interventions for disseminating child nutritional and health information to mothers and caregivers in low- and middle-income countries.

Keywords:

• ICT
• dietary quality
• undernutrition
• information
• children

Acknowledgments

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. The authors are grateful to KNBS for allowing them access to and use of the datasets.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Notes on contributors

Marther W. Ngigi

Dr Marther W. Ngigi is a researcher in the fields of agricultural economics and market development. Her research experience and interests are in the agricultural market and value chain development, technological change, climate change economics, food security, gender research (youth and women), and factor market dynamics in SSA. She is currently working on ways of engaging youth as agents of change in food systems transformation. Dr Ngigi is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Agricultural Sciences, Machakos University. She holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics from the University of Bonn, Germany, M.Sc. in Agricultural and Applied Economics and B.Sc. Agribusiness Management from the University of Nairobi, Kenya. Her publications can be found here

Elijah N. Muange

Dr Elijah Muange is an agriculturalist specializing in the economics of agricultural and rural development. He has vast experience in agricultural research and training in Eastern Africa. His experience and interests are in technology research, dissemination and adoption; the role of information dissemination in agriculture; use of social networks and ICT in agricultural information dissemination; the interaction between agriculture, technology and nutrition; agricultural marketing; project evaluations; and impact assessments. Dr. Muange is currently a Lecturer and Chairman at the Department of Agricultural Sciences, Machakos University, where he teaches Agricultural Microeconomics, Production economics, Marketing, International Trade, Research Methods, Statistics, Quantitative Techniques, and Project management. Dr. Muange holds a PhD in Agricultural Sciences (Agricultural Economics & Rural Development) – the University of Gottingen; and MSc in Agricultural & Applied Economics and BSc in Agriculture (Agricultural Economics Major) from the University of Nairobi. He has published widely in peer-reviewed journals here