Socio-Economic Factors Influencing the Intensity of Traditional Leafy Vegetable Consumption among Consumers in Kisumu City, Kenya

For many communities in Kenya, Traditional Leafy Vegetables (TLVs) play a major role in food and nutritional security. Despite this, the dominance of exotic vegetables in farms and markets has shifted the attention away from traditional vegetable varieties. Consumption patterns reveal that rural households consume more TLVs than urban households. Therefore, there was a need to determine socio-economic factors influencing the consumption of TLVs in urban areas. Multistage sampling was employed to collect primary data from 409 consumers of TLVs in Kisumu City. A multiple linear regression model was used to analyse the socio-economic factors influencing the consumption intensity of TLVs. The age, proportion of income allocated to TLVs, and education level of the household head positively influenced the intensity of consumption of TLVs. The existence of children below the age of 5 years had a negative influence on the intensity of consumption. The occupation of the household head, location of the household, and the market distance were also found to have a significant influence on the intensity of consumption of TLVs. Increased production and consumption of these nutritious and culturally valued TLVs in urban settlements is recommended