Pttern of Food Habits of the people at paikgacha Upazila in Khulna District: A sociological Study

The study is an attempt to know the pattern of food habits of the people in two union. Lashkar and Sholadana under Paikgachha upazilla in Khulna district of south western region of Bangladesh. Due to geographical location and natural disaster prone, the region is selected purposively to conduct the study. The study is qualitative as well as descriptive in nature. The study uses three qualitative methods: Case study (N=8) for depth investigation, Focus Group Discussion (N-4) for investigating the integrated community people's perception and in-depth interview (N-4) to discover the key information to conduct the study. Three semi-structured checklists ie a checklist for case study, a guideline for FGD and a checklist for in depth interview are used as research tools for collecting information in the study. The study finds that the people of Lashkar and Sholadana union consider that food is one of the main basic needs for human being to live. The study presents that food habits of the people of the study area reflect the geographic and climatic conditions of the land as well as effect of social and religious customs. The study finds that the pattern of food habits has broadly influenced by people's socio-economic characteristics as well as food availability, food price, food choices, food eating behavior, food intake system, food management system, people's financial condition, religious view, daily food making process and intake system etc. In this study food habits pattern are greatly affected by seasonal and disaster related problem. The study area is highly affected by this problem and due to this problem, their food habits pattern is mostly changed. Analyzing the socio-economic condition, the research have focused on the nature of food habits and causes of changing food habit in the study area.

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