Assessment of Frequency and Consumption Pattern of Some Indigenous Soups in Delta State doi.org/10.26538/tjnpr/v6i4.21

Abstract

Dietary intake refers to an individual’s consumption of specific foods and nutrients as well as their relative quantities. This study determined the intake frequency and consumption pattern of some indigenous soup in Delta State, Nigeria. The study was conducted in Umutu in Ukwuani LGA, Egbokodo Itsekiri in Warri South LGA, Ekeranvwe in Ughelli North LGA and Bomadi, Bomadi LGA. The population of this study comprises all volunteers from the four selected LGA of Delta State. For accurate and effective sampling method, a comprehensive data of random sampling of four towns in the selected Local Government Area of Delta State was used. The sample involved the selection of 100 volunteers in each of the towns, which brought the sample size to 400. Frequency of consumption of food items was assessed using the food frequency and consumption pattern was determined using questionnaire. The results showed that gender was a stronger determinant of cooking time than other sociodemographic variables. The findings indicated female engage in cooking than male. The highest households cost of soup preparation goes to the Igbaba ofofo with a wide margin compared to other soups. Small-households sizes spend less and consumed less soup to ensure that their  household members meet up with adequate and nutritious food while large households’ sizes spend more on soup preparation. The major firmness of this study is that, it forms a preliminary assessment of some indigenous food frequency and pattern of consumption in Delta State, which is novel.