COPING STRATEGIES TO FOOD INSECURITY EMPLOYED BY STUDENTS OF KARATINA UNIVERSITY, KENYA.

It has been reported that 1 in 3 Kenyans suffers from severe food insecurity and poor nutrition. This study aimed to establish the level of food insecurity among Karatina University students and the coping strategies employed. A nutrition survey research design and random sampling was done with a sample size of 94 students, who resided within the university. Proximate composition by AOAC methods and nature of frequently consumed foods was determined. Dietary and non-dietary coping strategies to food insecurity were established. The percentage of students who were food insecure was 27.9% as evidenced by skipping a meal more than once every week of the month due to lack of enough money. Also, 22.3% borrowed foods from friends and neighbours, 48.9% stuck to simple and affordable meals, which were either, rice+beans/green grams or “ugali”+cabbage/ leafy green vegetables or “ugali”+beans/green grams. The non-dietary coping strategies showed 18.1% students reducing expenditure on airtime, while 2.1% sold assets-mobile phones and laptops. The most consumed daily meal was “chapatti” + beans/green grams at 26.6 and 27.7% for male and females, respectively, while the least consumed meal was “ugali” + beans/green grams at 5.3 and 3.2% for male and female students, respectively. Animal proteins as part of daily meals were hardly consumed due to the high sales price. Both genders met their daily calorie and dietary protein recommendation. The dimension of food security that was not met by students was affordability.