AWARENESS AND CONSUMPTION PATTERNS FOR PRECOOKED BEAN PRODUCTS AMONG HOUSEHOLDS IN MACHAKOS COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

Beans are a good source of protein, fibre, complex carbohydrates, and micronutrients. Their consumption is however limited by the high energy and water requirements for cooking as well as the long cooking time. As a result, precooked bean products which require less cooking time, fuel, and water, were introduced in Kenya, to increase bean consumption, improve nutrition and conserve the environment. Despite this intervention, there is still insufficient consumption of precooked bean products, which has been attributed to inadequate information about the products. This study, therefore, sought to assess consumer awareness and consumption patterns for precooked bean products. The specific objectives of this study were to determine consumer awareness, factors influencing consumer preference and consumption frequency for precooked bean products among households in Machakos County. A multistage sampling technique was used to select a sample size of 385 respondents and a semi-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Descriptive statistics, Multivariate Probit and Poisson regression models were used for analysis using STATA computer software. Findings indicate that majority (52%) of the respondents are aware of precooked bean products. In addition, consumer preference for precooked bean products is significantly influenced by gender, household size, presence of a child below five years, employment, monthly income, health status of a household, market distance, cooking time, fuel, colour and shelf life. Further, the findings reveal that consumption frequency for precooked bean products is driven by age, education, presence of a child below five years in the household and nutrition knowledge. However, employment, household size and colour of these bean products negatively affects consumption frequency. This study concludes that the nutrition content of precooked bean products significantly influences their consumption patterns. Thus, this study recommends that policymakers and other stakeholders should emphasize the nutrition and health benefits of precooked bean products when making policy decisions and strategies. This could promote consumption of precooked bean products as well as enhance household food and nutrition security. Emphasizing the economic benefits of consuming precooked bean products could equally be important in enhancing consumption and conserving the environment.