Effect of Food Availability Variation on Dietary Consumption and Nutritional Adequacy of Reproductive-Age Women Benefiting from a Multisectoral Intervention: A Longitudinal Study in Benin

Malnutrition is a multi-causal phenomenon that affects women's health and their children. This study determined the extent to which the dietary intake and nutritional adequacy of women of reproductive age, beneficiaries of a multisectoral intervention, are affected by the seasonality effect of food availability periods (FAP) in northwest Benin. A sample of 165 voluntary women was constituted, and daily food consumption data were collected during increased FAP (November 2018 and January 2019), intermediate FAP (September 2018 and March 2019) and decreased FAP (May 2019 and July 2019). Average food quantities and median nutritional intakes were calculated and compared using SPSS 20.0. The mean age of women was 29.5 ± 7.8 years. Women's dietary intake was dominated by staples (cereals, roots, and tubers) and vegetables, with fewer animal products. This dietary intake did not provide sufficient micronutrient intakes to meet vitamins and minerals requirements of most women (>50%) in all FAP, except intermediate FAP. Increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables led to an improvement in women's nutritional intakes during intermediate FAP. Therefore, enhancing the availability and accessibility of fruits and vegetables throughout the year will contribute to improving nutritional intakes and reducing malnutrition. Keywords: seasonality, multisectoral intervention, food, nutrient, women of reproductive age, Benin.