Drivers of Food Choice among Adolescent Girls in the Lower Manya Krobo District-Eastern Region of Ghana
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Date
2017-07
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Publisher
University of Ghana
Abstract
Background
Adolescence is the transitional period from childhood onto adulthood. This life stage is essential because it is marked by rapid growth and development. Nutrient needs increase during this period to support their growth spurt. However, there is an increased independence during this stage and adolescents desire to make their food selection. They end up making unhealthy food choice which in turn makes them nutritionally vulnerable.
Adolescent girls have been shown to have unhealthy food choice which makes them malnourish and affect their reproductive health. This study was conducted to determine the drivers (determinants) of food choice among the adolescent girls in the Lower Manya Krobo District-Eastern region of Ghana.
Methodology
The study was cross sectional which comprised 270 adolescent girls between 10-19 years in the Lower Manya Krobo District. The adolescent girls were selected from four communities in the district using multi-stage sampling. A pretested structured questionnaire was used to obtain information on the adolescent girls’ background characteristics, the foods they had consumed for a period of last one week during the study and the determinants (nutritional knowledge, environmental factors, social factors, economic factors, psychological factors and physiological factors) of their food choice (healthy or unhealthy food choice).
Univariate analysis using descriptive statistics was used to determine means, standard deviations of the continuous variables and frequencies for the categorical variables. Bivariate analysis using cross tabulation was used to find the associations between the socio demographic characteristics,
nutritional knowledge, environmental factors, social factors, psychological factors, economic factors, physiological factors and food choice of the study participants. Further analysis was done using multiple logistic regression to determine the factors independently associated with the food choice of the adolescent girls.
Result
101(37.4%) of the adolescent girls were early adolescents (10-14 years), 56(20.7%) were mid-adolescents (15-17 years) and 113(41.9%) were late adolescents (18-19 years). The majority (61.1%) of the adolescent girls made unhealthy food choice (They consumed foods from cereals, fruits and vegetables less than three times in a week). The food choice (healthy or unhealthy food choice) of the adolescents’ was associated with their age group. The mid adolescents [AOR (95% CI= 0.53(0.27-0.97)] were less likely to make healthy food choice compared to the early adolescents and the late adolescents [AOR (95% CI= 0.41(0.20-0.82)] were less likely to make healthy food choice compared to the early adolescents.
Also, there was an association between psychological factors (body image) and food choice. Those who reported “it was not important to them to eat foods that will keep their body shape” [AOR (95% CI= 0.51(0.28-0.92)] were less likely to make healthy food choice compared to those who reported “it was important to them to eat foods that will keep their body shape”
Conclusion
Unhealthy food choice was common among the adolescent girls. Their food choices were associated with their age group. The mid and late adolescents made unhealthy food choice than the early adolescents. Body image was associated with the food choice of the adolescent girls.
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Keywords
Adolescence, nutritionally vulnerable., development., unhealthy food, Lower Manya Krobo, District, Eastern region of Ghana