Factors Influencing Food Consumption in a Conflict-Affected Nation: A Case of Afghanistan During the Taliban Regime

Objectives: Afghanistan, a nation affected by decades of conflict, has persistently suffered from food insecurity. The situation worsened after the Taliban regained power in 2021. This study aimed to understand the social determinants of food consumption among rural households in Afghanistan to guide national and international policies to alleviate food insecurity. Methods: This study utilized data collected by the Food and Agriculture Organization between September and October 2023 from a representative sample of rural households in all 34 provinces of Afghanistan. The outcome of interest was food consumption measured by food consumption score, which is an indicator of dietary diversity, food frequency, and relative nutritional importance of different food groups. Logistic regression was used to examine the social determinants of food consumption. Results: Out of 8232 households, 85% were male-headed households with 60% having no education. Staples and meat and fish were the most and least commonly consumed food groups with 98% and 28% of respondents consuming these at least once in the past week, respectively. Multivariable analysis demonstrated that female-headed households were more likely to have poor food consumption score compared to male-headed households. Additionally, heads of households with more than 40 years of age and secondary school, college/university, or religious education were less likely to have poor food consumption score than those heads of households with 40 years or less of age and no education. Households were less likely to have poor food consumption score if they were involved in any form of agricultural activities or had an income over 5000 Afs [$63.69 US] in the past three months. Conclusions: Policies and interventions to improve food consumption among rural households should focus on households that are headed by females, aged 40 years or less, with no education, and households with no agricultural activities and an income below 5000 Afs [$63.69 US]. Funding Sources: This study was not funded.