Policy Action Within Urban African Food Systems to Promote Healthy Food Consumption: A Realist Synthesis in Ghana and Kenya

Abstract

Background: Obesity and nutrition-related non-communicable diseases (NR-NCDs) are increasing throughout Africa, driven by urbanization and changing food environments. Policy action has been limited - and influenced by high-income countries. Socioeconomic/political environments of African food systems must be considered to understand what policy might work to prevent NR-NCDs, for whom, and under what circumstances. Methods: A realist synthesis of five policy areas to support healthier food consumption in urban Africa: regulating trade/foreign investment; regulating health/nutrition claims/labels; setting composition standards for processed foods; restricting unhealthy food marketing; and school food policy. We drew upon Ghana and Kenya to contextualize the evidence base. Program theories were generated by stakeholders in Ghana/Kenya. A two-stage search interrogated MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus. Program theories were tested and refined to produce a synthesized model. Results: The five policies operate through complex, interconnected pathways moderated by global-, national- and local contexts. Consumers and the food environment interact to enable/disable food accessibility, affordability, and availability. Consumer relationships with each other and retailers are important contextual influences, along with political/ economic interests, stakeholder alliances, and globalized trade. Coherent laws/regulatory frameworks and government capacities are fundamental across all policies. The increasing importance of convenience is shaped by demographic and sociocultural drivers. Awareness of healthy diets mediates food consumption through comprehension, education, literacy, and beliefs. Contextualized data (especially food composition data) and inter-sectoral collaboration are critical to policy implementation. Conclusion: Evidence indicates that coherent action across the five policy areas could positively influence the healthiness of food environments and consumption in urban Africa. However, drivers of (un)healthy food environments and consumption reflect the complex interplay of socio-economic and political drivers acting at diverse geographical levels. Stakeholders at local, national, and global levels have important, yet differing, roles to play in ensuring healthy food environments and consumption in urban Africa.