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Food Inflation and Wellbeing of Households in Aba, Abia State

Nwankwo, Godgift Anyamaobi Okachi, Onyebuchi Richard

Abstract

Food inflation has become a major challenge affecting household welfare in Nigeria, particularly in urban commercial centres such as Aba. This study examined how rising food prices influence household expenditure patterns, nutritional quality, and coping strategies among residents of Aba, Abia State. Using a descriptive survey design, data were collected from 346 households through structured questionnaires and analyzed with descriptive statistics, simple linear regression, and Pearson correlation techniques. The findings showed that rising food prices have significantly weakened household purchasing power, as most respondents reported difficulties maintaining previous consumption levels and increasingly substituted preferred foods with cheaper alternatives. The regression results revealed that food inflation significantly affects household expenditure patterns (R2 = 0.453; F = 323.85; p < 0.05), forcing households to devote a larger share of their income to food purchases. The study also found a significant negative effect of food inflation on nutritional quality (R2 = 0.347; F = 172.45; p < 0.05), reflected in reduced consumption of protein-rich foods, lower dietary diversity, and greater dependence on cheaper food options. In addition, coping strategies adopted by households were strongly associated with the severity of food inflation effects (r = 0.611; p < 0.01). The study concludes that persistent food inflation poses serious threats to household welfare and recommends food price stabilization policies, improved social protection programmes, and support for local food production to strengthen household resilience.

Keywords

Food inflation; household expenditure; nutritional quality; coping strategies; household welfare; household resilience; Nigeria. I.

References

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Your responses will provide valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and other stakeholders in addressing the challenges posed by food inflation. Please note that: 1. The information you provide will be treated with the highest confidentiality. 2. Participation is voluntary, and you may withdraw at any point without penalty. 3. The data collected will be used solely for academic purposes. Kindly respond honestly to all questions in the attached questionnaire. Your cooperation will be highly appreciated in making this research a success. Thank you for your valuable time and contribution. Yours faithfully, [Your Full Name] Researcher Email: [Your Email Address] Phone: [Your Phone Number] A. Demographic Section of the Questionnaire (Biodata) Section A: Respondent’s Demographic Information Options 1. Gender: ☐ Male ☐ Female 2. Age Range: ☐ 18–27 years ☐ 28–37 years ☐ 38–47 years ☐ 48 years and above 3. Marital Status: ☐ Single ☐ Married ☐ Widowed ☐ Divorced 4. Highest Educational Qualification: ☐ No formal education ☐ Primary ☐ Secondary ☐ OND/NCE ☐ HND/Bachelor’s ☐ Postgraduate 5. Occupation: ☐ Trader ☐ Civil Servant ☐ Artisan ☐ Self- employed ☐ Private sector worker ☐ Other (specify) _______ 6. Average Monthly Household Income (₦): ☐ Below ₦50,000 ☐ ₦50,001 – ₦100,000 ☐ ₦100,001 – ₦150,000 ☐ Above ₦150,000 7. Household Size: ☐ 1–3 members ☐ 4–6 members ☐ Above 6 members 8. Number of Dependents: ☐ None ☐ 1–2 ☐ 3–4 ☐ Above 4 Questionnaire: Food Inflation and Economic Well-being of Households in Aba, Abia State, Nigeria Questionnaire Item SA (1) A (2) D (3) SD (4) Objective 1: To examine the effect of food inflation on household purchasing power 1. Rising food prices in Aba have reduced my ability to buy the same quantity of goods I used to. 2. Food inflation has forced me to substitute preferred food items with cheaper alternatives. 3. My household spends a larger percentage of our income on food now than before. 4. The purchasing power of households in Aba is significantly affected by frequent food price hikes. Objective 2: To assess the impact of food inflation on household savings and investments 5. Food inflation has reduced the amount of money my household can save monthly. 6. I have withdrawn money from savings to cope with rising food prices. 7. Food price increases have discouraged my household from making long-term investments. 8. I have had to sell assets or goods to meet food expenses. Objective 3: To evaluate how food inflation affects household nutrition and food quality Questionnaire Item SA (1) A (2) D (3) SD (4) 9. Due to rising food prices, my household has reduced the variety of foods we consume. 10. My household has reduced the quantity of protein-rich foods consumed due to price increases. 11. We now buy lower-quality food items because the better-quality ones are too expensive. 12. Food inflation has led to an increase in malnutrition risk in households. Objective 4: To identify coping strategies households adopt in response to food inflation 13. My household buys food in bulk during harvest seasons to save costs. 14. We now buy more from open-air markets instead of supermarkets to cut costs. 15. My household has shifted to consuming more locally produced food instead of imported ones. 16. I have started engaging in small-scale farming or gardening to reduce food expenses.

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