POVERTY, FOOD INSECURITY AND CHRONIC DISEASES AMONG FAMILIES: A STUDY OF YAURI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, OF KEBBI STATE

Abstract

This paper examines the reciprocal relationships among poverty, food insecurityand chronic disease among family dynamics as a social variable. This paper explains howchronic illness plays a pivotal role on families, especially individuals with lowersocioeconomic status who are affected by different diseases that may lead to immature death.These diseases include chlamydia, genital warts, herpes, gonorrhoea, hepatitis, syphilis, lungcancer and HIV. Some of these diseases can lead to permanent functional disability or evendeath. The main objective of this study was to examine the reciprocal relationships betweenchronic diseases among families. The paper adopted triangulation methods of data collectionwithin quantitative and qualitative methods of social science research. The paper has a samplesize of 90 respondents from both quantitative and qualitative research. In the qualitativemethods, judgemental interviews and key informant interviews (KII) were used to obtaininformation. The interviewee profile included three nurses, four medical doctors and threemembers the general population. Relative deprivation theory was used as theoreticalframework to explain the issue at hand. The findings of the study revealed that there is aprevalence of hepatitis, HIV and gonorrhoea in the area of the Yauri local government. Thesefindings also indicate that, severe food insecurity among households can cause seriouschallenges that the members of those houses are at risk of malnourishment and severe hungerand that their children will grow stunted, which can lead to outbreaks of several diseases as thebody cannot resist attacked by germs. The study recommended that there be a holisticintervention of public awareness to alert individuals that when they engage in risky behaviours,they may attract several illnesses. In conclusion, the government, healthcare personnel,nongovernmental organizations, and private and public donors, provide good, and adequatemedicine that can minimize or reduce certain pain, because it is incurable.