TY - JOUR
T1 - Individual-Level Drivers of Food Choices and Diet Quality Among Adolescents in Urban West Africa
T2 - Evidence From Accra, Ghana
AU - Klemm, Janosch
AU - Muli, Samuel
AU - Oluwagbemigun, Kolade
AU - Parlasca, Martin
AU - Crentsil, Aba
AU - Ogum, Deda
AU - Quartey, Peter
AU - Laar, Amos
AU - Lartey, Anna
AU - Borgemeister, Christian
AU - Nöthlings, Ute
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Author(s). Maternal & Child Nutrition published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Diet quality is influenced by multiple individual factors, but their relative strength and importance remain unclear. We investigate the associations between five domains of individual factors (economic, cognitive, aspirational, situational and consumer behaviour) and diet intake of adolescents in Accra, Ghana. A cross-sectional survey among Junior High School (JHS) students (n = 409, mean age 14.3 years ± 1.28 (SD)) in Accra, Ghana, was conducted. Data on diet intake, knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) and socioeconomic background characteristics were collected. Adjusting for other factors, students' total budget was positively associated with food group diversity (β = 0.12, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.09–0.15) but inversely associated with diet quality (β = −0.07, 95% CI −0.11 to −0.03). Positive attitude towards nutrition and healthy eating was inversely associated with unfavourable diversity (β = −0.17, 95% CI −0.31 to −0.03). Differences between negative deviants relative to positive deviants were determined by attitude towards healthy eating (odds ratio [OR] = 0.41; 95% CI 0.17–0.99) and family practices (OR = 0.48; 95% CI 0.23–1.00). We provide evidence that higher food budgets were associated with higher diet diversity, but not with improved diet quality. Attitude, but not knowledge, was linked to better diet quality. Future studies should focus on the specific contribution of aspirational, situational and behavioural factors in directing increased diversity towards favourable eating habits.
AB - Diet quality is influenced by multiple individual factors, but their relative strength and importance remain unclear. We investigate the associations between five domains of individual factors (economic, cognitive, aspirational, situational and consumer behaviour) and diet intake of adolescents in Accra, Ghana. A cross-sectional survey among Junior High School (JHS) students (n = 409, mean age 14.3 years ± 1.28 (SD)) in Accra, Ghana, was conducted. Data on diet intake, knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) and socioeconomic background characteristics were collected. Adjusting for other factors, students' total budget was positively associated with food group diversity (β = 0.12, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.09–0.15) but inversely associated with diet quality (β = −0.07, 95% CI −0.11 to −0.03). Positive attitude towards nutrition and healthy eating was inversely associated with unfavourable diversity (β = −0.17, 95% CI −0.31 to −0.03). Differences between negative deviants relative to positive deviants were determined by attitude towards healthy eating (odds ratio [OR] = 0.41; 95% CI 0.17–0.99) and family practices (OR = 0.48; 95% CI 0.23–1.00). We provide evidence that higher food budgets were associated with higher diet diversity, but not with improved diet quality. Attitude, but not knowledge, was linked to better diet quality. Future studies should focus on the specific contribution of aspirational, situational and behavioural factors in directing increased diversity towards favourable eating habits.
KW - adolescents
KW - diet diversity
KW - diet quality
KW - Ghana
KW - Global Dietary Recommendation (GDR) Score
KW - urban settings
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85211247973&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/mcn.13775
DO - 10.1111/mcn.13775
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85211247973
SN - 1740-8695
JO - Maternal and Child Nutrition
JF - Maternal and Child Nutrition
ER -