Indicator 2.1.1 Prevalence of undernourishment

Goal 2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

Target 2.1. By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round

Indicator 2.1.1 Prevalence of Undernourishment

Prevalence of undernourishment

10.05.2024

2.1.2, 2.2.1, 2.2.2, 2.2.3, 12.3.1

Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS)

Senior Manager

Food Monitoring, Nutrition and Environment Statistics Division

Compilation of Food Security and Nutrition Statistics

+254-735-004-401, +254-202-911-000, +254-202-911-001

P.O. Box 30266 – 00100, Nairobi. Kenya.

dps@knbs.or.ke

Definition:

The prevalence of undernourishment (PoU) proportion of the population whose habitual food consumption is insufficient to provide the dietary energy levels that are required to maintain a normal active and healthy life. It is expressed as a percentage.

Concepts:

Undernourishment is defined as the condition by which a person has access, on a regular basis, to the amount of food that are insufficient to provide the energy required for conducting a normal, healthy and active life, given his or her own dietary energy requirements.

Though strictly related, “undernourishment” as defined here is different from the physical conditions of “malnutrition” and “undernutrition” as it refers to the condition of insufficient intake of food, rather than to the outcome in terms of nutritional status.

While the undernourishment condition applies to individuals, due to conceptual and data-related considerations, the indicator can only be referred to a population, or group of individuals. The prevalence of undernourishment is thus an estimate of the percentage of individuals in a group that are in that condition, but it does not allow for the identification of which individuals in the group are, in fact, undernourished.

Per cent (%)

The indicator is reported at National, Rural, Urban and County levels. However, the reporting template does not provide reporting at County level.

2015/16 Kenya Integrated Household Budget Survey (KIHBS)

Kenya Continuous Household Survey Program (KCHSP), 2019 - 2021

Surveys

KIHBS – Every 5 years, KCHSP - Adhoc

KIHBS 2024/25

KNBS

KNBS

The 2006 Statistics Act mandates the Bureau to be the principal agency of the Government for collecting, analysing and disseminating statistical data in Kenya and to be the custodian of official statistical information (Section 4.(1)).

The indicator has been used in the country to report to users such as FAO, CAADP and Ministry of Agriculture for monitoring food insecurity in the country and international as well as regional comparison.

1. Feasibility

The estimates have been produced using food consumption data from KIHBS and KCHS. Though, we have FBS data, we have not managed to produce the indicator to cover the years when the surveys have not been undertaken.

2. Reliability

Reliability mostly depends on the quality of the data used to inform the estimation of the model’s parameters.

DEC could be estimated either from survey data or from food balances. Neither source is devoid of problems. When comparing estimates of national DEC from FBS and from surveys, differences are frequently noted.

DEC estimates from survey data can be affected by systematic measurement errors due to underreporting of food consumption, or to incomplete recording of all food consumption sources. Recent research shows that a negative bias of up to more than 850 kcal can be induced on the estimated daily

To compute an estimate of the prevalence of undernourishment in a population, the probability distribution of habitual dietary energy intake levels (expressed in kcal per person per day) for the average individual is modelled as a parametric probability density function (pdf), f(x).

Various Stakeholder are involved before publication is done

The main three sources of data at national level are

a) Official reports on the production, trade and utilization of the major food crop and livestock productions.

b) Household survey data on food consumption

c) Demographic characteristics of the national population

The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics is ISO certified based on 9001:2015 Standard requirements. The processes of compilation, production, publication and dissemination of data, including quality control, are carried out following the methodological framework and standards established by the KNBS, in compliance with the Internationally acceptable standards

The KNBS adheres to Kenya Statistical Quality Assurance Framework (KesQAF) that underlines principles to be assured in managing the statistical production processes and output.

Data consistency and quality checks are conducted through Technical Working Groups (TWGs) before publication and dissemination.

The processes of compilation, production, publication and dissemination of data, including quality control are subjected to a set criteria and standards to ensure conformity.

Data availability:

Data available in 2015/16 KIHBS and 2019-2021 KCHS Surveys.

Disaggregation:

The scope for disaggregation thus crucially depends on the availability of surveys designed to be representative at the level of sub national population groups. Given prevailing practice in the design of national household surveys, sufficient reliable information is only possible at the level of macro area of residence (urban-rural) and of the Counties in the country. To the extent that most of the used surveys are designed to accurately capture the distribution of income, inference can be drawn on the PoU in different income classes of the population. Gender disaggregation is enabled by grouping households by gender-related information (such as sex of the head of the household).

Not using other alternatives to compute the PoU.

Using the household survey approach, the FAO methodology is used to locally compute PoU.

Information on PoU has not been published at country level.

Many countries have produced and reported on estimates of the Prevalence of Undernourishment, including in their national MDG Reports, but almost invariably using a different methodology than the one developed by FAO, which makes national figures not comparable to those reported by FAO for global monitoring. The most common approach used in preparing national reports has been to calculate the percentage of households for which the average per capita daily dietary energy consumption is found to be below thresholds based on daily Recommended Dietary Intake, usually set at 2,100 kcal, based on household survey data. In some cases, also lower thresholds of around 1,400 kcal have been used, probably as a reaction to the fact that percentages of households reporting average daily consumption of less than 2,100 kcal per capita were implausibly high estimates of the prevalence of undernourishment. Almost without exception, no consideration related to the presence of excess variability in the dietary energy consumption data is made, and the reports reveal limited or no progress in the reduction of PoU over time. As discussed in the section on the method of computation, the results obtained through these alternative methods are highly unreliable and almost certainly biased toward overestimation. It is therefore advisable that a concerted effort is made to advocate for use of the FAO methods also in preparation of national reports. FAO stands ready to provide all necessary technical support.

KIHBS 2015/2016, KCHS 2019-2021

https://www.knbs.or.ke/download/the-statistics-act2006-2/

https://www.knbs.or.ke/download/basic-report/

https://www.knbs.or.ke/download/the-kenya-poverty-report-2019/

https://www.knbs.or.ke/download/the-kenya-poverty-report-2020/

https://www.knbs.or.ke/download/the-kenya-poverty-report-2021/