Determinants of Local Food Substitution and Diet-Related Noncommunicable Diseases in the FSM.

Barthelus, El-Hoima Kedassa (2025). "Determinants of Local Food Substitution and Diet-Related Noncommunicable Diseases in the FSM". No Publisher Supplied. doi:10.7282/t3-gs68-f436.

Abstract: This thesis examines the factors influencing food substitution decisions at the household level within the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), a small island developing nation that faces both climate-related risks and nutrition-related health challenges. Dietary shifts in FSM have fueled a rapid rise in noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular conditions, while pressures from climate change continue to intensify. The analysis in this thesis is based entirely on a secondary dataset collected by Rutgers University researchers in collaboration with FSM national and state government agencies, the Micronesia Conservation Trust, and additional partners through the FSM Climate-Resilient Food Production Survey (2022–2023), funded by the Green Climate Fund to the National Government of the Federated States of Micronesia. The Rutgers Food Security Research Team served as the lead scientific and consultative partner for the project. The survey instruments, fieldwork, and data collection were designed and implemented by these collaborating teams. The present thesis draws on the resulting dataset of 625 households across Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap that had been collected under this prior research, and was conducted to further support the national goals and objectives of the FSM by subjecting this rich secondary dataset to new additional statistical analyses for the national FSM consideration as they move to increasing and strengthening their food security. This study investigates explicitly the extent to which FSM households rely on local food alternatives instead of imported products, focusing on five categories: seafood, meat, rice, coconut milk, and dairy substitutes. Using logistic regression models, the analysis determined that households substitute imported foods depending largely on land availability, social support systems, and sources of primary income. Policy recommendations derived from this research highlight opportunities to transform food systems across the Pacific by strengthening local food substitution and adaptive capacities. In addition, the thesis develops an adaptive framework to promote sustainable food systems in climate-sensitive island regions by linking local dietary resilience with global sustainability objectives. This work was conducted to further support and benefit the national FSM with a focus on providing additional evidence to support replacing selected imports with local food production. Future research should investigate long-term substitution behaviors and the sociocultural and institutional factors that shape them, as these factors together would contribute to a more sustainable approach to strengthening food security in the FSM.

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OpenAlex: W7106004009