Examining the Association between Millet Consumption Frequency and Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS): A Regression Analysis of Rural Households in Uttarakhand

A declining trend of traditional millet consumption in rural Uttarakhand has implications for dietary diversity and nutritional security of the region. This study examines associations between millet consumption frequency and Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) across 300 rural households in three districts (Chamoli, Rudrapyrag and Pithoragarh) of Uttarakhand. Using multiple regression, we tested hypo theses linking millet consumption to HDDS and the moderating roles of income, education, and family size. Results show a strong positive association: households with high millet consumption (≥3 times/week) had significantly higher HDDS than those with lower consumption. This positive effect was amplified by higher household income and education level, while weakened by the family size. This may be due to resource constraints in large -sized families. The regression model explained 43% of HDDS variance (R² = 0.432), with millet frequency contributing 16.3% (η² = 0.163). These findings highlight the potential of millets in improving dietary diversity in mountainous agroecosystems.