Mapping the factors in the social and physical food environments that drive consumption of energy dense nutrient-poor (EDNP) foods and beverages, to identify interventions targeting women and adolescent girls throughout the reproductive life course.

Africa is currently experiencing rapid change partly driven by increasing migration of individuals to cities. Dietary habits are also changing with increasing consumption of unhealthy foods that are high in calories and low in nutrients. Such changes have resulted in increasing levels of obesity in cities, with rates higher for women. This Dietary transitions in Ghana project investigated: i. the factors in the social and physical food environments that drive consumption of EDNP food and beverages in women and adolescent girls, and ii. harnessed this understanding to develop context-relevant interventions to improve diets in two Ghanaian cities of different demographic transition stages (Ho and Accra).

• Study populations: women/adolescent girls throughout the reproductive life course. Community informants and national stakeholders were interviewed.
  
  
• Tools: Socio-ecological approach using qualitative and quantitative methods: a qualitative 24 hour recall that accounts for participants’ social practices; Photovoice interviews ; food environment mapping using Geographic Information System to assess the availability of foods/beverages and the food advertising environment in both cities; consult with local community informants using the Community Readiness Model; dialogue with national stakeholders to benchmark the extent of action on improving food environments.

This research has been funded by the Drivers of Food Choice (DFC) Competitive Grants Programs, which is funded by the UK Government’s Department for International Development and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and managed by the University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health, USA.

---