Determinants of Adoption and Sustainability of Underutilized Species-Based Nutrition Interventions among Rural Households in Northern Sierra Leone

Abstract:

Food-based strategies built on locally available underutilized species are widely promoted as sustainable responses to micronutrient deficiency, yet many such interventions fail not because the foods lack nutritional value but because households do not take them up and keep using them. This study examined the socio-economic, cultural, and institutional factors that shape adoption and sustained use of processed products derived from three underutilized species: mango (Mangifera indica), orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP; Ipomoea batatas), and pumpkin (Cucurbita spp.) in Bombali and Tonkolili Districts, Northern Sierra Leone. A cross-sectional mixed-methods design was used, combining a structured survey of 400 rural households with focus group discussions and key-informant interviews. Adoption of processed underutilized products was modelled using multivariable logistic regression adjusted for socio-demographic, economic, and institutional covariates, and qualitative data were analysed thematically. Despite high reported availability (mango 86.5%, pumpkin 75.5%, OFSP 60.0%), underutilization indices exceeded 30% for all three species, confirming a substantial gap between what households can obtain and what they routinely eat. Six factors were independently associated with adoption: exposure to nutrition education (AOR = 1.74; 95% CI: 1.28–2.36; p < 0.001), sensory acceptability (AOR = 1.68; 1.34–2.11; p < 0.001), cultural food preference (AOR = 1.53; 1.19–1.96; p = 0.001), perceived shelf-life benefit (AOR = 1.42; 1.11–1.82; p = 0.005), female household headship (AOR = 1.36; 1.01–1.83; p = 0.043), and household income level (AOR = 1.29; 1.03–1.62; p = 0.027). District of residence showed no independent effect (AOR = 1.12; 0.84–1.50; p = 0.441). Qualitative accounts converged on the same picture: households described the staple-centred structure of meals, a narrow repertoire of preparation methods, unreliable off-season supply, women’s time burden, and the absence of processing equipment and training as the practical limits on regular use, while familiarity, visible benefit for children, and peer demonstration encouraged uptake. Adoption in this setting is therefore driven by knowledge and experience rather than by geography or supply alone, and sustainability depends on whether interventions reduce, rather than add to, the everyday effort of preparing food. Programmes that pair practical processing training with sensory-led product design, reliable year-round supply, and support for women’s workload are the most likely to endure.