Intra-household food distribution among Guatemalan families in a supplementary feeding program: behavior patterns

The present study investigated how food is distributed to various family members differing in age, sex, earning status, family role, and status as target child in families enrolled in supplementary feeding programs in urban Guatemala. Two patterns to explain intra-household food distribution patterns were hypothesized: a Contributions Rule, that individuals considered in the culture to have higher economic value would receive a higher percentage of the family's food; and a Needs Rule, in which those considered to have greater need (but not contribution) would receive a higher percentage of the family's food. The results with 45 families (230 individuals) suggested that the Contribution Rule was a better predictor of food distribution patterns in this setting than the Needs Rule. Specifically, male heads of households received a relatively higher proportion of the family's proteins, and the female heads of households received a relatively higher proportion of the family's calories, given their nutritional requirements, than other family members. There was no evidence that mothers were giving the child targeted as undernourished by the health center any more food than any other similar-aged child.