Socio-Economic Determinants of Rural Women’s Food Purchasing Practices in Southwest, Nigeria

Food purchasing practices are central to household food security, particularly in rural settings where women dominate food provisioning decisions. This study examined the socioeconomic determinants of food purchase practices among rural women in Southwest Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 301 rural women farmers from Ogun, Osun, and Oyo States. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression. A Food Purchase Practices Index (FPPI), constructed from 17 behavioural indicators, served as the dependent variable. Descriptive results show that rural women’s food purchasing behaviour is highly structured, planning-oriented, and nutrition-conscious, with widespread practices such as inventory checking (98.7%), use of shopping lists (93.4%), and attention to expiration dates (90.7%). The OLS regression model was statistically significant (F = 40.32; p < 0.01), with an R² of 0.569 and an adjusted R² of 0.555, indicating that the model explains 56.9% of the variation in food purchase practices. The results further reveal that monthly income (β = 0.287; p < 0.01), educational level (β = 0.218; p < 0.01), access to credit (β = 0.198; p < 0.01), farming experience (β = 0.164; p < 0.01), age (β = 0.135; p < 0.05), and marital status (β = 0.112; p < 0.05) positively and significantly influence food purchase practices, while household size (β = −0.087; p < 0.05) has a significant negative effect. The study concludes that socioeconomic characteristics significantly shape food purchasing behaviour among rural women in Southwest Nigeria. Strengthening women’s income capacity, educational attainment, and financial inclusion is therefore critical for improving household food acquisition strategies and enhancing food security outcomes in rural communities.