Determinants of food purchase practices and their contribution towards food accessibility by household from Imbali township, Pietermaritzburg, Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa

Date
2019-12
Journal Title
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Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY : The study evaluated household food purchasing practices and their contribution towards household food accessibility and assessed social and economic determinants in selected households from Imbali Township in Pietermaritzburg, Kwa-Zulu Natal. The study design was cross-sectional, using qualitative and quantitative techniques. Instruments used were questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and observational study lists. Using the questionnaires, household socio-economic and food accessibility information was obtained. In-depth interviews helped to gain information and elaboration on food purchasing practices and overall experience of purchasing locally. By use of observation lists, information on food types and quantities purchased was obtained. Twenty-nine of the households relied on supermarkets for the purchase of their groceries and all of them reported instances when surrounding outlets assisted in securing some food items, thus promoting their households’ food accessibility. Fourteen of the households owned vegetable gardens but indicated how this was not their main source of food. Most of the participants were employed, highly educated and mostly reliant on formal salaries as their main source of income. From the study, determinants of food purchasing practices were identified as purchasing power, educational level, convenience, store hygiene, safety in reaching food suppliers, and transport. Household purchasing frequency and food expenditure depended on household income level, household size and the time at which formal salaries were received. Factors that promoted food accessibility included: higher physical accessibility to food supply, electricity and water access, greater number of rooms in the households promoting greater disposal of food storage space, vegetable garden ownership, and higher income level.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Die studie het huishoudelike voedselaankooppraktyke en hul bydrae tot die toeganklikheid van huishoudelike voedsel geëvalueer, asook die sosiale en ekonomiese bepalende faktore in geselekteerde huishoudings van die Imbali-gemeenskap in Pietermaritzburg, Kwa-Zulu Natal, beoordeel. Die studie-ontwerp was ‘n dwarssnitstudie, met behulp van kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe tegnieke. Instrumente wat gebruik is, sluit in vraelyste, in-diepte onderhoude en waarnemingslyste. Met behulp van die vraelyste is inligting rakende die huishoudelike sosio-ekonomiese en voedseltoeganklikheid verkry. In-diepte onderhoude het gehelp om inligting te verkry oor voedselaankooppraktyke en die algemene ervaring van plaaslike aankope. Deur gebruik te maak van waarnemingslyste, is inligting oor voedselsoorte en hoeveelhede aangekoop verkry. Nege-en-twintig van die huishoudings het op supermarkte staatgemaak vir die aankoop van hul kruideniersware, en almal meld gevalle waar omliggende winkels soms gebruik word om voedsel te bekom en sodoende hul huishoudings se voedseltoeganklikheid te bevorder. Veertien van die huishoudings het groentetuine besit, maar het aangedui dat dit nie die belangrikste voedselbron was nie. Die meeste van die deelnemers was werksaam, hoogs opgelei en was meestal afhanklik van formele salarisse as hul hoof bron van inkomste. Uit die studie is die dryfkrag van voedselaankooppraktyke geïdentifiseer as koopkrag, opvoedkundige vlak, gemak, winkelhigiëne, veiligheid in die bereiking van voedselverskaffers en vervoer. Huishoudelike aankoopfrekwensie en voedseluitgawes was afhanklik van huishoudelike inkomstevlak, huishoudelike grootte en die tydstip waarop formele salarisse ontvang is. Faktore wat voedsel beskikbaarheid bevorder het was: fisiese beskikbaarheid van voedsel, toegang tot elektrisiteit en water, meer kamers in die huishouding, wat lei to makliker berging van voedsel, die besit van groentetuine, en hoër inkomstevlakke.
Description
Thesis (MSc Food Sc)--Stellenbosch University, 2019.
Keywords
Food -- Consumption -- Economic aspects -- Imbali township -- Pietermaritzburg (South Africa), Food -- Consumption -- Social aspects -- Imbali township -- Pietermaritzburg (South Africa), Consumer behaviour -- Imbali township -- Pietermaritzburg (South Africa), Households -- Economic aspects -- Imbali township -- Pietermaritzburg (South Africa), Food security -- Imbali township -- Pietermaritzburg (South Africa), UCTD
Citation