<b>Influence of Food Fallacies on Dietary Choices and Consumption Patterns Amongst </b><b>Oje Market Women in North East Local Government, Ibadan, Oyo State</b><b></b> <b> </b>

Food fallacies persist in influencing daily dietary practices, although their local drivers and impacts are inadequately comprehended. In this study the influence of food fallacies in food choices and consumption patterns among market women in Oje Market, North-East Local Government Area, Ibadan, Oyo State was investigated. The study was a descriptive cross-sectional study using validated semi-structured self-administered questionnaire of 424 market women aged 18 to 50 through a random sampling technique. Data collected were analyzed using counts, mean, standard deviation, percentages, and Chi-square. The study population comprised predominantly middle-aged traders (mean age 41.02±14.32 years) with the largest proportion (31.3%) being in the 36-45 years age group. The result indicated a substantial portion (44.9%) had only primary education or no formal education. The religious composition, with Christianity being predominant (51.2%), followed by Islam (33.4%), suggests that religious beliefs may intersect with food fallacies in this population. The educational background was also a major predictor so that nearly half of those who never had any education had completely believed in food fallacies while only one in five university graduates believed in this stuff. There was a great correlation between, marital status, religious affiliation, and prevalence of views. Religious leaders were felt to be influential sources of eating information. The study came up with the conclusion that food fallacies pose a serious, yet daunting, obstacle toward optimal nutrition among the Oje Market women. The research suggested community-based nutrition education that can be effective in redefining the fallacies, exploiting credible opinion leaders, and the consideration of livelihood factors. Working on eradicating these culturally specific beliefs would greatly add to the micronutrient consumption and overall, wellbeing of this economically dynamic and yet nutritionally inclined population.