From knowledge to consumption: behavioural and structural constraints in urban food systems, evidence from Namibia

Résumé fourni par la source

Improving diet quality is increasingly central to global food security and public health strategies, yet evidence on whether nutritional knowledge translates into healthier dietary behaviour remains inconclusive, particularly in rapidly urbanising low- and middle-income countries. This study examines the relationship between nutritional knowledge and fruit and vegetable consumption among urban households in Rundu, Namibia, focusing on behavioural and structural influences on dietary outcomes. Household survey data were analysed using binary and ordered probit models to distinguish dietary adequacy from consumption intensity. Nutritional knowledge was positively associated with achieving the recommended minimum fruit and vegetable intake (β = 1.526, p < 0.001) but did not significantly predict higher consumption intensity (p > 0.05). Household size was negatively associated with dietary adequacy (β = −0.137, p = 0.021), while age, education, and income exhibited non-linear effects. These findings reveal a knowledge–behaviour gap, suggesting that nutrition education alone may be insufficient to improve diet quality where structural barriers persist. By distinguishing dietary adequacy from intensity, the study demonstrates that nutritional knowledge may influence different stages of dietary behaviour differently. Nutrition education should therefore be complemented by food-system interventions that improve the affordability, accessibility, and availability of nutritious foods.