SOCIOECONOMIC DETERMINANTS OF HOUSEHOLD FOOD CONSUMPTION PATTERNS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF URBAN AND RURAL AREAS OF DISTRICT PESHAWAR

Abstract

The research was conducted with the objective to compare the food consumption pattern in the urban and rural areas of district Peshawar. Data were collected from an urban area Hayatabad and a rural area Chmakani. Sample households randomly selected for the interview from urban and rural area were 49 and 53 respectively. The main findings of the study showed that average household size in the rural area was 8.9 while in the urban area it was 7.2. Literacy rate in the rural area was found to be 43.4 % while in the urban area literacy rate was 89.7 %. Monthly average household income in the rural area was  Rs.17169.8/ month, while urban monthly average income was Rs. 89510.2/ month. Major food groups compared on the basis of household income were meat, flour, milk, fruits, vegetables, pulses and edible fats. From the results It was found that household income had significant effect on the consumption of meat, fruits, vegetables, milk, pulses, ghee where as it had insignificant effect on the consumption of wheat flour and oil. In the rural area major portion of household income was spent on flour, vegetables and edible fats while in the urban area major portion of household income was spent on meat, fruits, vegetables, rice and milk. An average urban household used to consume 304.51 kg of food commodities per month. The largest quantity of food commodity consumed was that of fruits followed by flour, vegetables, milk and rice. In the rural area average per month consumption of food commodities was 171.18 kg. The largest quantity of commodity consumed was that of flour followed by vegetables, milk and sugar. There was significant difference in food consumption between urban and rural area therefore it was recommended that job opportunities and education facilities should be increased in the rural area to get the permanent solution of the problem. More over prices of certain food commodities  should be reduced and availability of food goods should be increased by increasing investment in agriculture and developing market structure to facilitate the low income consumers.