Comparative Analysis of the Purchasing Behavior and Dietary Diversity of Selected Households with Stunted and Normal Children in Liliw, Laguna, 2025

Date

6-2025

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics

College

College of Economics and Management (CEM)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Ruby Jane C. Estadilla

Committee Member

Geny F. Lapiña, Maria Angeles O. Catelo

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Abstract

In the Philippines, one in four kids under five years old is stunted. Stunting is irreversible and permanent after two years of age. Hence, care and nutrition in the first 1,000 days of children are critical and important. Stunting has long-term effects, which include poor educational and cognitive performance, lower wages, and a loss in productivity. Stunting also has an economic consequence; in fact, in the Philippine economy, we lost more than 3.1 billion USD per year due to stunting. In 2024, Liliw ranked third among the municipalities in Laguna with the highest prevalence of stunting and is shown to have an increasing trend from 2021 to 2024.

This study was conducted to analyze the possible causes for the continuous increase of stunting in Liliw, Laguna, by analyzing the purchasing behavior and dietary diversity of households with stunted children and comparing them with those with normal children. A total of 136 households in Liliw, Laguna, were interviewed. In analyzing the data, descriptive analysis, t-test analysis, chi-square test of independence, pairwise correlation analysis, and logistic regression were utilized.

Based on the results, for both types of households, most of the household heads are aged 29 to 37 years old and are male. There are more college graduate heads in households with normal children, and more household heads with stunted children are engaged in manual or blue-collar jobs. On average, the monthly income of households with normal children is higher by PhP4,216.17. For the household size, most of the households with stunted children have two to four members. For the number of working household members, the majority for both types of households have one. Out of all these socio- economic characteristics, household monthly income is the only statistically significant factor that can affect the dietary diversity of households with stunted and normal children based on the analysis. Notably, there is also a weak association between the choice of market outlets and the dietary diversity scores in households with normal children.

The average monthly budget for food for households with stunted children is lower by PhP1,097.06. In terms of their budget allocation to different food groups, both types of households allot more to meat and fish, main staples, and vegetables. Households with stunted children allot more to healthier food groups and unprocessed foods compared to households with normal children. However, there are fewer households with stunted children that consume fruits, milk, and pulses. This reflects the results of dietary diversity, where more households with stunted children have a medium dietary diversity, and one household has a low dietary diversity. From the results, the following are recommended for households with stunted children: (1) creating job opportunities for mothers and providing training/certifications for fathers; (2) provision of pulses, fruits, and milk; (3) promotion of backyard and community gardens; (4) establishment of an official municipal nutrition office; and (5) further studies on the effectiveness of the nutrition programs in Liliw, Laguna, and conduct of similar studies in other locations.

Language

English

LC Subject

Consumer behavior, Purchasing—Management, Nutrition--Evaluation

Location

UPLB College of Economics and Management (CEM)

Call Number

LG 993.5 2025 A14 S27

Notes

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Document Type

Thesis

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