Temporal Disparities in Food Consumption before and during Flood Disaster Based on Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) in Bangladesh: A Study among Women of Daganbhuiyan Upazila, Feni

Abstract

Flood disasters can disrupt household food access and alter dietary patterns, increasing nutritional vulnerability among affected populations. The present study focused on changes in food consumption patterns and dietary diversity among female household members of Daganbhuiyan Union, Daganbhuiyan Upazila, Feni District. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted in the community using a questionnaire to interview 380 respondents from households affected by the flood. A structured, customized interviewer-administered questionnaire, developed based on the Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) framework, was used to collect data. Household food consumption and dietary diversity before and during the flood were assessed retrospectively. The findings show that the disaster affected households' food consumption patterns. Household food access was also affected, as the number of meals eaten per day dropped from 3.12 before the disaster to 2.33 during the disaster. The frequency of food consumption decreased for most food groups, with the greatest reductions observed in the consumption of fruits, sweets, milk and milk products, fish, oils and fats, meat, and rice. In contrast, vegetable intake increased and lentil intake improved slightly, indicating increased access to comparatively affordable and available foods during the disaster. The results suggest that the flood had an impact on household food access, meal frequency, and dietary patterns, which may increase nutritional vulnerability among affected women.