Food availability and food habits among Ghanaians: Tracking the dietary transition in Ghana

2021 ◽  
pp. 026010602110667
Author(s):  
Sandra Boatemaa Kushitor

Background: Although extreme hunger has reduced significantly, people are eating nutrient-poor cheap foods that are unhealthy and environmentally unsustainable. Even though dietary practices are changing in Ghana, there is minimal national-level analysis of the changes and their implication for population health. Aim: This study describes shifts in food availability and consumption in Ghana from 1983–2013. Methods: Data from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) food balance sheets and a scoping review were used. Descriptive analysis was conducted in excel for the FAO data, and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews recommendation was followed for the scoping review. Results: The availability of total calories increased from 1527 kcal in 1983 to 3016 kcal in 2013, representing 608 kcal above the daily recommended allowance for women. Sugar and sweeteners was the food group with the highest increase of 1075%. Vegetables contributed the least to food availability, with less than 40 kcal a day. Rice contributed the most to food availability among cereals (56 kcal in 1983 to 304 kcal in 2013), replacing maise as the primary cereal. Conclusion: After the 1983 famine, there were significant increases in food availability in Ghana. The provision of rice, sugars and tubers meant to end hunger, changed dietary patterns and has resulted in low dietary diversity, high energy intake and overweight/obesity. Therefore, there is a need to intervene and increase the availability of other food groups.

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (11) ◽  
pp. 2110-2119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramya Ambikapathi ◽  
Nilupa S Gunaratna ◽  
Isabel Madzorera ◽  
Simone Passarelli ◽  
Chelsey R Canavan ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectiveIn Ethiopia, women’s dietary diversity is low, primarily due to poor food availability and access, both at home and market level. The present study aimed to describe market access using a new definition called market food diversity (MFD) and estimate the impact of MFD, crop and livestock diversity on dietary diversity among women enrolled in the Agriculture to Nutrition (ATONU) trial.DesignBaseline cross-sectional data collected from November 2016 to January 2017 were used for the analysis. Availability of foods in markets was assessed at the village level and categorized into nine food groups similar to the dietary diversity index for women. Bivariate and multivariate mixed-effects regression analyses were conducted, adjusted for clustering at the village level.SettingChicken-producing farmers in rural Ethiopia.ParticipantsWomen (n 2117) aged 15–49 years.ResultsOverall, less than 6 % of women met the minimum dietary diversity (≥5 food groups) and the most commonly consumed food groups were staples and legumes. Median MFD was 4 food groups (interquartile range: 2–8). Multivariate models indicated that women’s dietary diversity differed by livestock diversity, food crop diversity and agroecology, with significant interaction effects between agroecology and MFD.ConclusionsWomen’s dietary diversity is poor in Ethiopia. Local markets are variable in food availability across seasons and agroecological zones. The MFD indicator captures this variability, and women who have access to higher MFD in the highland agroecological zone have better dietary diversity. Thus, MFD has the potential to mitigate the effects of environment on women’s dietary diversity.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 549-549
Author(s):  
Malay Mridha ◽  
Abu Ahmed Shamim ◽  
Md Mokbul Hossain ◽  
Mehedi Hasan ◽  
Abu Abdullah Mohammad Hanif ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives Bangladesh has a paucity of information about the dietary practices of adult men. In the recently completed round of the national nutrition surveillance (NNS 2018–2019), we explored the dietary practices of adult men and factors associated with insufficient dietary diversity (IDD) and insufficient intake of fruits and vegetables. Methods In the NNS, between October 2018 and 2019, we collected data from from 82 clusters (57 rural, 15 non-slum urban, and 10 slums) selected using multistage cluster sampling. In these clusters we interviewed and took physical measurements of 4904 20–59 years old men (3471 in rural, 832 in urban, and 601 in slum). We used minimum dietary diversity for women (MDD-W) questionnaire to collect dietary data. IDD was defined as consumption of < 5 food groups out of 10 food groups, and insufficient fruits and vegetables intake was defined as consumption of < 5 servings of fruits and vegetables in the past 24 hours. Results The prevalence of IDD was 53% (54% in rural, 42% in non-slum urban, and 56% in slum areas) among the adult men. In the past 24 hours, 73% consumed meat/fish/poultry, 28% consumed eggs, and 22% consumed dairy products. The consumption of dark green leafy vegetables, vitamin A rich fuits and vegetables, other vegetables, other fruits was 34%, 22%, 73%, and 37%, respectively. Among the respondents, 27% had savory snacks, 52% had sweets, and 75% had sugary drinks. The prevalence of insufficient fruits and vegetables intake was 86% (83% in rural, 92% in non-slum urban and 93% in slum areas). IDD was associated with education (partial secondary education: Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 0.67, P < 0.001; ≥10 years of schooling: AOR 0.48, P < 0.001), and sufficient intake of fruits and vegetables (AOR 0.82, P = 0.022). On the other hand, insufficient fruits and vegetables intake was associated with IDD (AOR 1.23, P = 0.014), hypertension (AOR 0.77, P = 0.020) and adequate physical activity (AOR 0.46, P < 0.001). Conclusions More than half of the men aged 20–59 years consume an inadequately diversified diet in Bangladesh and 86% had insufficient intake of fruits and vegetables. This study identified a number of factors associated with IDD, and insufficient intake of fruits and vegetables. The government of Bangladesh should address them while developing interventions to improve nutrition. Funding Sources Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Bangladesh.


BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. e030817 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucy Elliott ◽  
Rachael L Morley ◽  
Ronelle Mouton ◽  
Robert Hinchliffe

IntroductionThe effect of mode of anaesthesia in emergency surgery is uncertain. This scoping review will identify and summarise the evidence for local, regional or general anaesthetic in adult patients undergoing emergency surgical procedures.Methods and analysisScoping review methodology will be followed. The search will be run in EMBASE and Medline. Further articles will be identified from searching references in relevant studies. A descriptive analysis will be performed considering the following main outcomes; mortality, length of stay, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, postoperative pain and morbidity. Data on complications including acute coronary syndrome, stroke, thromboembolic events, delirium, acute kidney injury, respiratory tract infection, surgical site infection and study-specific additional outcomes will also be collected.Ethics and disseminationNo ethics approval is required. The results will be used to inform a funding application for a clinical trial comparing local/regional anaesthetic with general anaesthetic. The study will be disseminated via peer-reviewed manuscript and conferences.Trial registration numberResults will be reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) Statement. There are currently no registries that accept scoping reviews.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Winnifred Ekua Baidoe ◽  
Mark Kwame Ananga ◽  
Elorm Kwame Nyinaku

Background. For most people in developing countries, street food is a major source of sustenance, and Ghana is no exception. Street food vending has seen tremendous growth in Ghana as a result of the insurgence of urbanisation. Despite being one of the largest sectors of national economy in terms of employment and sales of food, very little is known about street food consumption patterns in Ghana. The current study explored the patterns and extent of street food consumption in the Hohoe township. Methods. A cross-sectional design which recruited 403 subjects through a multistage sampling technique. A semistructured questionnaire was used to gather information on demographics, types of street foods, extent of street food consumption, safety concerns, and diversity of street foods patronised. Means, standard deviations, and Chi-square tests were used to determine the association between selected variables at <0.05 level of significance. Results. The top 5 foods mostly patronised by respondents are porridge foods-Koko (17.9%), rice and stew (17.4%), banku (12.6%), waakye (11.5%), and kenkey (8.7%) with porridge foods consumed almost on a daily basis. Convenience (37.2%) and affordability (17.1%) greatly influenced the choice of street foods among consumers. Occupation and the level of education are strongly correlated with the concern for safety of street foods {(X2 = 17.3094, P<0.008); (X2 = 17.1731, P<0.002)}. The dietary diversity score of most respondents was in the high tercile (77.7%) (≥6 food groups), whilst the cereals dominate the food group mostly consumed by respondents. Conclusion. The study suggests that patronising street food is very high in Hohoe municipality, irrespective of the gender, occupation, or educational level. As an “informal” sector of food business, street foods often escape formal inspection and control. They can, therefore, both be the source of food safety problems and contribute to the deterioration of environmental hygiene. This is a call on policy makers and regulators to take a critical look at the sector.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 389-389
Author(s):  
Nadia Akseer ◽  
Rebecca A Heidkamp ◽  
Andrew Thorne-Lyman

Abstract Objectives Improving child diet diversity is a policy priority in many settings. Multiple factors influence complementary feeding practices in low-income countries including household food access, caregiver-level factors and cultural practices. Child's dietary data is often available in national surveys (i.e., Demographic and Health Surveys, DHS), but they typically lack diet data from adults. The 2018 Nigeria DHS was among the first to measure food group intake in both young children and women. We describe the relationship between child and maternal diet diversity in Nigeria and highlight implications for design of infant and young child feeding (IYCF) programs. Methods Using the Nigeria DHS 2018 dataset, we estimated consumption of individual food groups in the previous 24 hours as well as minimum dietary diversity for children 6–23 months (MDD-C) and their mothers, women 15–49 years (MDD-W) using WHO-UNICEF definitions. We compare rates of concordance and discordance between n = 8975 mother-child pairs for individual food groups and MDD using McNemar's tests. Probit regression was used to identify drivers of MDD-C. Results Nationally, 22% of children achieve MDD-C; 51% of mothers achieve MDD-W. For both populations, the most commonly consumed group is grains, roots and tubers (&gt;80%) Dairy and eggs are the least consumed. Maternal-child (age 12–23 months) discordance is highest for consumption of legumes and nuts (36%), vitamin A rich fruits and vegetables (39%) and other fruits and vegetables (57%); mothers consume these more frequently. Children are more likely than mothers to consume dairy (19% vs 8%) and eggs (8% vs 4%). Maternal-child food group discordance is consistently higher for children 6–11months than children 12–23 months. Results vary at state level and by maternal age group. Children's MDD probability is increased by MDD-W (27%, P &lt; 0.001), higher maternal education (8%, P &lt; 0.01) and household wealth (7%, P &lt; 0.01). Conclusions Maternal and child diet diversity is suboptimal in Nigeria. Maternal diet is a primary driver of child diet in Nigeria. Legumes and nuts and fruits and vegetables are available but not consistently fed to children; an important finding for IYCF program design. The forthcoming DHS-8 core questionnaire will provide child and maternal diet data for more than 90 countries. Funding Sources Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Gharib Khamis ◽  
Akwilina Wendelin Mwanri ◽  
Julius Edward Ntwenya ◽  
Katharina Kreppel

Abstract Background Undernutrition poses a serious health challenge in developing countries. Tanzania has the highest undernutrition burdens in East and Southern Africa. Poor infant and young child feeding practices including consumption of undiversified diet are the main cause for undernutrition. There is limited information regarding the association between dietary diversity and undernutrition in Tanzania. The objective of this paper was to examine to what extent the dietary diversity is associated with undernutrition of children of 6 to 23 months in Tanzania.Methods This is a secondary data analysis from data collected by the Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey of 2015-2016. Stunting, wasting and underweight were calculated from Z-scores based on 2006 WHO standards. A dietary diversity score was created by summing the number of food groups reported for each child by the mother ranging from 0 to 7. Then, a Minimum Dietary Diversity (MDD) indicator was used to assess the diversity of the diet given to children. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression techniques were used to assess the odds ratios of becoming undernourished.Results A total of 2,960 children were enrolled in this study. The majority (73.9%) of children did not reach the recommended Minimum Dietary Diversity (MDD). The most commonly consumed types of foods were grains, roots and tubers (91%), and Vitamin A containing fruits and vegetables (65%). Consumption of a diverse diet was significantly associated with a reduction of stunting, wasting and being underweight in children. The likelihood of being stunted, wasted and underweight was found to decrease as the number of food group consumed increased. Children who did not received an MDD diet had a significantly higher likelihood of being stunted (AOR=1.37, 95% CI; 1.13-1.65) and underweight (AOR=1.49, 95% CI; 1.15-1.92), but this was not the case for wasting. Consumption of animal source foods has been found to be associated with reduced stunting among children.Conclusion Consumption of a diverse diet was associated with a reduction in undernutrition among children of 6 to 23 months in Tanzania. Measures to improve the type of complementary foods in order to meet the energy and nutritional demands of children should be considered in Tanzania.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Aisling Walsh ◽  
Pieternella Pieterse ◽  
Zoe McCormack ◽  
Ellen Chirwa ◽  
Anne Matthews

Background: Improved breastfeeding practices have the potential to save the lives of over 823,000 children under 5 years old globally every year. Exclusively breastfeeding infants for the first six months would lead to the largest infant mortality reduction. The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) is a global campaign by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), which promotes best practice to support breastfeeding in maternity services. The Baby-Friendly Community Initiative (BFCI) is an extension of the BHFI’s 10 th step of the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding and of the BFHI overall. Its focus is on community-based breastfeeding supports for women. There have been no known attempts to synthesise the overall body of evidence on the BFHI in recent years, and no synthesis of empirical research on the BFCI. This scoping review asks the question: what is known about the implementation of the BFHI and the BFCI globally? Methods and analysis: This scoping review will be conducted according to the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews. Inclusion criteria will follow the Population, Concepts, Contexts approach. A data charting form will be developed and applied to all the included articles. Qualitative and quantitative descriptive analysis will be undertaken. The PAGER (Patterns, Advances, Gaps, Evidence for practice and Research recommendations) methodological framework will be used to analyse and report review findings. Conclusion: This review will establish gaps in current evidence which will inform areas for future research in relation to this global initiative.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grace Waweru ◽  
Peter Chege ◽  
Eunice Njogu

Abstract Background The rapid changes in eating habits and lifestyles in Kenya have resulted to the overweight/obesity transition. Students are likely to make poor food choices which may affect their nutrition status during the beginning of college and this may continue throughout their life. This study aimed to establish the dietary practices, assess nutrition status based on body mass index and the relationship between dietary diversity and nutrition status of female undergraduate students at Kenyatta University, Kenya.Method s: The study adopted a cross-sectional analytical design involving sample of 422 female undergraduate students randomly selected from Kenyatta University. Minimum Dietary Diversity – Women and Food Frequency Questionnaire were used to assess the dietary practices of the female students. Weight and height were measured to assess the nutrition status of the female students.Results The results showed that 64.0% of the participants had consumed ≥ 5 food groups while 36% had consumed <5 food groups over a period of 24 hours. In terms of nutrition status, 68.4% of the participants had normal Body Mass Index while 23.9% were overweight, 5.55% were underweight and 2.3% were obese. Minimum Dietary Diversity – Women was significantly associated with nutrition status (p=0.044).Conclusion The results illustrated unhealthy eating habits and sub-optimal nutrition status among a significant number of the female students. Policy makers should scale up interventions that would help improve dietary practices of women of reproductive age particularly university students.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 536-536
Author(s):  
Sunny Kim ◽  
Celeste Sununtnasuk ◽  
Amare Tadesse ◽  
Abdulaziz Oumer ◽  
Tamirrat Walissa ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives In Ethiopia, where 40% of the population is under 15 years, evidence on adolescent nutrition is limited. We examined the dietary diversity and its determinants among in-school adolescent girls in 2 regions in southern Ethiopia. Methods We used household survey data from 162 in-school adolescent girls aged 10–14 y across 54 primary schools in one agrarian region (SNNP) and one pastoralist region (Somali), collected in October-November 2019. Multiple regression models were used to examine factors such as nutrition knowledge, food availability and food insecurity associated with the dietary diversity score, adjusted for age and geographic clustering. Results All of the adolescent girls were currently enrolled in school (grades 4–8), and most resided with their mothers (96.9%) and fathers (80.2%). Prevalence of thinness was 11.7% (body mass index (BMI)-for-age Z-score &lt; −2SD), and 35.2% were mildly thin (BMI-for-age Z-score &lt; -1SD). Dietary diversity was low, with 3.7 food groups (out of 10) consumed in the last 24 h. Also, 48.8% reported consuming sweets and sugar-sweetened beverages in the last 24 h. Nutrition knowledge among adolescents was moderate, with an average score of 4.8 out of 8 knowledge items. On occurrences of food insecurity in the past 30 days, they reported an average score of 1.1 (out of 9 items). However, household surveys revealed a high degree of food insecurity (56.2%). Adolescents also reported that only 3.6 food groups (out of 10) were available at home some/most/all of the time (that is, 3–7 days) over the past 7 days. Unsurprisingly, food availability at home (β = 0.30, P = 0.000) and food insecurity (β = −0.12, P = 0.013) followed by nutrition knowledge (β = 0.11, 0 = 0.031) were significantly associated with dietary diversity score. Conclusions Understanding the factors influencing poor diets among adolescents will help to enhance the design of educational interventions to improve adolescent nutrition outcomes, a critical priority in Ethiopia. However, household food insecurity and household food availability are serious concerns in this context. Funding Sources Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, through Alive & Thrive, managed by FHI 360; and CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH), led by the International Food Policy Research Institute.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grace Waweru ◽  
Peter Chege ◽  
Eunice Njogu

Abstract Background The rapid changes in eating habits and lifestyles in Kenya have resulted to the overweight/obesity transition. Students are likely to make poor food choices which may affect their nutrition status during the beginning of college and this may continue throughout their life. This study aimed to establish the dietary practices, assess nutrition status based on body mass index and the relationship between selected dietary practices and nutrition status of female undergraduate students at Kenyatta University, Kenya. Methods The study adopted a cross-sectional analytical design involving sample of 422 female undergraduate students randomly selected from Kenyatta University. Food Frequency Questionnaire and the Minimum Dietary Diversity – Women were used to assess dietary practices. Weight and height were measured to assess the nutrition status of the female students. Results The results showed that 64.0% of the participants had consumed ≥ 5 food groups while 36% had consumed <5 food groups over a period of 24 hours. In terms of nutrition status, 68.4% of the participants had normal BMI while 23.9% were overweight, 5.55% were underweight and 2.3% were obese. MDDS-W was significantly associated with nutrition status (p=0.044). Conclusion The results illustrated unhealthy eating habits and sub-optimal nutrition status among a significant number of the female students. Policy makers should scale up interventions that would help improve dietary practices of women of reproductive age particularly university students.


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