Essays on Dietary Diversity in

Pakistan

PhD Synopsis

Student Name: Irfan Ullah

Supervised by: Dr. Anwar Shah

School of Economics

Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad

 Essays on Dietary Diversity in

Pakistan

1. Introduction:

The established consensus during 1980s was that consuming sufficient dietary energy (Kcal)

per capita per day was necessary for food security, which was based on food quantity rather

than food quality. The food quantity measure ignores the importance of food quality which

ensures adequate intake of micro-nutrients and macro-nutrients for an active and healthy life.

The unbalanced diet intake leads to malnutrition, a major development concern at

international level especially in developing countries (Rashid et al., 2011). The term of

malnutrition is more comprehensive than food insecurity, which covers the problem of

obesity, stunting, wasting and deficiencies of micro-nutrients, also called hidden hunger. The

Global Nutrition Report (2018) highlights a track towards the Sustainable Development

Goals (SDGs) target of ending malnutrition in all its forms by 2030 by focusing on five areas:

the burden of malnutrition, emerging areas in need of focus, diets as a common cause of

malnutrition in all its forms, financing of nutrition action, and global commitments.

The diet quality is an umbrella term and it is difficult to capture all the aspects of diet quality

because of its poorly defined concept and often difficult to measure (Alkerwi, 2014). Rashid

et al. (2011) consider protein availability which is dense in animal and fish products, and

dietary diversity as a key indicators of food quality. Dietary diversity can be calculated by

counting food groups which is called diet diversity score (DDS) or counting food items which
is called food variety score (FVS) consumed by a household during the recall period (Ruel,

2002; Rashid et al., 2011; Hussain, Zulfiqar, & Saboor, 2014). Ruel, (2002) points out that

diet diversity and nutrient adequacy are positively associated, and it could be a useful

indicator for food security. Recent literature found that low diet diversity is associated with

undernutrition and micro-nutrient deficiencies in children (Arimond & Ruel, 2018; Nantel,

Kennedy, Labadarios, Nel, & Steyn, 2008; Frempong & Annim, 2017). The issue of

malnutrition in the world especially in developing countries underscore the need to address

causes of malnutrition and improve diet quality through diet diversity.

2. Objectives of the Study:

The study will be considered following three objectives and every objective will be analysed

in a separate essay of the study:

 To analyse Socio-economic determinants of dietary diversity in Pakistan.

 To Explain Heterogeneity of Dietary Diversity across Rural-Urban areas of Pakistan.

 To analyze the nexus between dietary diversity and nutritional status for poor and

non-poor households in Pakistan.

3. Significance of the Study

There is a large number of empirical literature in case of Pakistan which analysed about food

demand systems, food insecurity and nutrient consumption which mostly focused on food

quantity aspect rather than food quality (Bouis & Mukhtar, 1992; Hayat et al., 2016; Burki,

1997; Butt, Mahmood, & Ludlow, 1987; Grimard, 1996; Ahmad, Ludlow, & Stern, 1988;

Muhammad & Asghar, 2012). Now the recent literature increases the importance of dietary

diversity and diet quality to overcome the issue of malnutrition in the world and especially in
the developing world. The study will be helpful to analyse regional, seasonal and income

groups differences of dietary diversity and its socio-economic determinants in Pakistan.

Further, decomposition of mean differences of dietary diversity will be helpful to identifying

those factors which are source of this difference and how much it is explained by socio-

economic characteristics of the households.

The analysis of the nexus between dietary diversity and nutritional status for poor and non-

poor will be helpful to identify the issue of double burden of malnutrition i.e., coexistence of

undernutrition and overnutrition. The analysis will be further helpful for policy makers to

ensure food security for poor households as well as to control overnutrition for non-poor

households.

4. Data Source and Description of Potential Variables:

The study will use Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES) which is conducted by

Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) in 2018-19 and it is available at website of PBS:

http://www.pbs.gov.pk/content/microdata.

References

Ahmad, E., Ludlow, S., & Stern, N. (1988). Demand Response in Pakistan : A Modification of the
Linear Expenditure System for 1976. The Pakistan Development Review, 27(3), 293–308.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/41259049
Alkerwi, A. (2014). Diet quality concept. Nutrition, 30(6), 613–618.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2013.10.001
Arimond, M., & Ruel, M. T. (2004). Dietary Diversity Is Associated with Child Nutritional Status:
Evidence from 11 Demographic and Health Surveys. The Journal of Nutrition, 134(10), 2579–
2585. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/134.10.2579
Bouis, H. E., & Mukhtar, H. (1992). Food Demand Elasticities by Income Group by Urban and Rural
Populations for Pakistan. The Pakistan Development Review, 31(4), 997–1017.
Burki, A. A. (1997). Estimating Consumer Preferences for Food , Using Time Series Data of Pakistan.
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Butt, S. A., Mahmood, T., & Ludlow, S. E. (1987). Food and nutrition in Pakistan (a cross-regional
study). Pakistan Development Review, 26(4), 485–498.
Frempong, R. B., & Annim, S. K. (2017). Dietary diversity and child malnutrition in Ghana. Heliyon,
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Grimard, F. (1996). Does the Poor ’ s Consumption of Calories Respond to Changes in Income ?
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Ruel, M. T. (2002). Is Dietary Diversity an Indicator of Food Security or Dietary Quality? a Review
of Measurement Issues and Research Needs. Fcnd Discussion Paper, 140, 1–59. www.ifpri.org/
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diversity scores in children: are they good indicators of dietary adequacy? Public Health
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