63 research outputs found
Ramadan fasting alters food patterns, dietary diversity and body weight among Ghanaian adolescents
No full textAbstract Background Ramadan is a monthlong fast for healthy adolescents and adult Muslims. The quality of foods eaten and eating patterns in Ramadan may be different from other months of the year. Food intake of adolescents is a concern as energy and nutrient requirements are higher and needed to support the growth spurt of this stage. The objective of the present study was to describe the food patterns, dietary diversity and body weight changes among adolescents during Ramadan. Methods A prospective cohort study design with four measurement points (baseline, midline, endline and post endline) was conducted among 366 adolescents in Junior High Schools. Food pattern was assessed with a food frequency questionnaire, a 24-h dietary recall was used to assess dietary diversity and body weight was measured using an electronic scale. A repeated measures ANOVA was used to compare changes in dietary diversity scores (DDS) and weight of pupils. Results Half of the pupils (50.3%) were female and average age was 15.9 ± 1.8 years. Pupils fasted for an average of 28.3 ± 4.0 days and 14.3 ± 0.5 h a day (dawn to dusk) during Ramadan. The number and types of dishes taken at meal times differed substantially between Ramadan periods and outside Ramadan. Consumption of vitamin A-rich fruits, other fruits, and milk and milk products increased markedly during Ramadan. However, fasting came with a reduction in consumption of foods from roots and tubers, legumes and nuts, and dark green leafy vegetables while other food groups remained unchanged. Mean DDS increased significantly during Ramadan (F (2.933, 1070.573) = 7.152, p < 0.001) while mean daily meal frequency decreased (F (2.936, 1071.623) = 51.653, p < 0.001). There was significant body weight loss (-1.5 kg (95% CI: -1.1 kg to -1.6 kg)) among adolescents (F (2.656, 958.95) = 304.90, p < 0.001). Weight loss was short-lived; regained one month after Ramadan. Conclusion In this prospective cohort study among schooling Ghanaian adolescents who fast during Ramadan, fasting was characterised by marked changes in usual food patterns, increased dietary diversity and significant body weight loss
Dietary patterns and associated factors of schooling Ghanaian adolescents
No full textAbstract Background Assessment of single nutrients or foods does not normally reflect the diet of population groups. Dietary pattern analyses are useful in understanding the overall diet and its relationship with disease conditions. The objective of the present study was to determine the dietary patterns and associated factors among schooling adolescents in Northern Ghana. Methods A cross-sectional study involving 366 pupils in 10 junior high schools in the Tamale metropolis was conducted. A Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) which consisted of 60 commonly consumed foods was used to assess pupils’ 7-day intake. Foods grouped (14) from FFQ data based on shared nutritional value were used to identify dietary patterns using principal component analysis (PCA). Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to determine the association between identified patterns and sociodemographic, anthropometric status, and household characteristics of pupils. Results Half of the pupils were female (50.3%) and average age was 15.6 ± 2.0 years. PCA identified two dietary patterns which in total explained 49.7% of the variability of the diet of pupils. The patterns were sweet tooth pattern (STP) with high factor loadings for sugar sweetened snacks, energy and soft drinks, sweets, tea and coffee, and milk and milk products, and a traditional pattern (TP) which showed high factor loadings for cereals and grains, local beverages, nuts, seeds and legumes, vegetables, and fish and seafood. Logistic regression showed that pupils who lived with their parents [AOR = 1.95; 95% CI (1.1–3.4); p = 0.019], those who went to school with pocket money [AOR = 4.73; 95% CI (1.5–15.0); p = 0.008], and those who lived in the wealthiest homes [AOR = 3.4; 95% CI (1.6–7.5); p = 0.002)] had higher odds of following the STP. The TP was associated with high dietary diversity (p = 0.035) and household wealth [AOR = 3.518; 95% CI (1.763–7.017); p < 0.001)]. None of the patterns was associated with anthropometric status of pupils. Conclusion Adolescents in the present study followed a sweet tooth or a traditional diet pattern which associated more with household- and individual-level factors but not anthropometric status
DDS and Seasonality Data_Abizari et al 2016.sav
No full textData-set on the effect of seasonality on the Dietary Diversity of school children in northern Ghana. We assessed the dietary diversity score (DDS) of the school-age children
at two different time points using a qualitative 24-hour dietary recall (24hR).
The baseline
assessment (October 2010) was conducted before the intervention and corresponded
with the onset of the dry season and the harvest of most crops especially
cereals, legumes like cowpea and some root tubers particularly sweet potatoes.
On the contrary, the follow-up assessment (May 2011) was conducted at the end
of the intervention and was in the rainy season coinciding with the lean period
when many households have their staple food (cereal and root tubers) stocks depleted. </div
Additional file 1: of Ramadan fasting alters food patterns, dietary diversity and body weight among Ghanaian adolescents
No full textPatterns of other foods consumed by participating pupils during Ramadan (7 day frequency). (DOCX 15 kb
Additional file 2: of Dietary patterns and associated factors of schooling Ghanaian adolescents
No full textSeven day Food Frequency Questionnaire. (DOCX 16Â kb
Additional file 1: of Dietary patterns and associated factors of schooling Ghanaian adolescents
No full textFood groups based on foods in the FFQ and used for PCA. (DOCX 14Â kb
Subclinical inflammation influences the association between Vitamin A-And iron status among schoolchildren in Ghana
No full textBackground and objective In resource-poor settings, micronutrient deficiencies such as Vitamin A deficiency may coexist with iron-deficiency. In this study we assessed the iron and Vitamin A status of schoolchildren and the association between Vitamin A and iron status. Methods A cross-sectional design using the baseline data of a dietary intervention trial conducted among randomly selected 5±12 years old schoolchildren (n = 224) from 2 rural schools in northern Ghana. Hemoglobin (Hb), serum ferritin (SF) and serum transferrin receptor (sTfR) concentrations were used as measures of iron status. Retinol binding protein (RBP) was used as a measure of Vitamin A status. Subclinical inflammation (SCI) was measured using C-reactive protein (CRP) and α1-Acid glycoprotein (AGP) concentrations. We examined the cross-sectional association between Vitamin A and iron status biomarkers with multiple linear regressions. Results The proportions of schoolchildren with anemia (WHO criteria), iron-deficiency (ID, SF 8.5mg/l) and iron-deficiency anemia (IDA, concurrent anemia and ID) were 63.8%, 68.3% and 46.4% respectively. Low or marginal Vitamin A status (0.70 μmol/l RBP <1.05μmol/l) was present in 48.2% while 37.5% of the schoolchildren had Vitamin A deficiency (VAD, RBP </p
How well do WHO complementary feeding indicators relate to nutritional status of children aged 6–23 months in rural Northern Ghana?
No full textAgriculture for Food and Nutrition Security: A Must For Achieving the Millennium Development Goals in Africa
No full textThe Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) underscore an overriding importance of human development for sustained economic, social, political and other development, and nutrition is the beginning of human development. Nutrition has, however, not been viewed as a development imperative in many African countries. Agricultural and health policies, projects and programmes and the conduct of agricultural and health research in most African countries do not consider nutrition to any significant degree.
The paper argues that food production, poverty, malnutrition and health are very intricately linked and the result of that linkage is probably the most important determinant of development and, thus, the realization of the MDGs in Africa. It also argues that it is a misconception that food security implies or is synonymous with food and nutrition security. The paper proposes that food policies, projects, programmes and research should focus on food and nutrition security and not just food security. In that regard, the paper proposes that the following interlinked processes must be taken into consideration in agricultural policies, projects, programmes and research:
(1) Effective marriage of indigenous and “scientific” knowledge in food production, processing, preservation, preparation and consumption.
(2) Promotion of agrobiodiversity, including the domestication of known nutritionally-rich semi-wild plants.
(3) Development of sustainable farming systems, including effective crop-livestock integration systems.
(4) Development of food production-marketing-consumption-nutrition linkage processes at community levels.
National and local level nutrition policy research and advocac
Agriculture for Food and Nutrition Security: A Must For Achieving the Millennium Development Goals in Africa
No full textThe Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) underscore an overriding importance of human development for sustained economic, social, political and other development, and nutrition is the beginning of human development. Nutrition has, however, not been viewed as a development imperative in many African countries. Agricultural and health policies, projects and programmes and the conduct of agricultural and health research in most African countries do not consider nutrition to any significant degree. The paper argues that food production, poverty, malnutrition and health are very intricately linked and the result of that linkage is probably the most important determinant of development and, thus, the realization of the MDGs in Africa. It also argues that it is a misconception that food security implies or is synonymous with food and nutrition security. The paper proposes that food policies, projects, programmes and research should focus on food and nutrition security and not just food security. In that regard, the paper proposes that the following interlinked processes must be taken into consideration in agricultural policies, projects, programmes and research: (1) Effective marriage of indigenous and “scientific” knowledge in food production, processing, preservation, preparation and consumption. (2) Promotion of agrobiodiversity, including the domestication of known nutritionally-rich semi-wild plants. (3) Development of sustainable farming systems, including effective crop-livestock integration systems. (4) Development of food production-marketing-consumption-nutrition linkage processes at community levels. National and local level nutrition policy research and advocacyAgricultural and Food Policy, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Environmental Economics and Policy, Farm Management, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Food Security and Poverty, International Relations/Trade, Marketing, Production Economics, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,
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