Dietary patterns and associated factors of schooling Ghanaian adolescents

Abstract 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 pat...

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Main Authors: Abdul-Razak Abizari, Zakari Ali
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2019-02-01
Series:Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition
Subjects:
Online Access:http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s41043-019-0162-8
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author Abdul-Razak Abizari
Zakari Ali
author_facet Abdul-Razak Abizari
Zakari Ali
author_sort Abdul-Razak Abizari
collection DOAJ
description Abstract 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.
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spelling doaj.art-163da93f74dc4c9a8dcefb1ddd1cc2822022-12-22T02:52:41ZengBMCJournal of Health, Population and Nutrition2072-13152019-02-0138111010.1186/s41043-019-0162-8Dietary patterns and associated factors of schooling Ghanaian adolescentsAbdul-Razak Abizari0Zakari Ali1Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Allied Health Sciences, University for Development StudiesDepartment of Nutritional Sciences, School of Allied Health Sciences, University for Development StudiesAbstract 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.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s41043-019-0162-8AdolescentsDietary patternSchool childrenAnthropometric statusGhana
spellingShingle Abdul-Razak Abizari
Zakari Ali
Dietary patterns and associated factors of schooling Ghanaian adolescents
Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition
Adolescents
Dietary pattern
School children
Anthropometric status
Ghana
title Dietary patterns and associated factors of schooling Ghanaian adolescents
title_full Dietary patterns and associated factors of schooling Ghanaian adolescents
title_fullStr Dietary patterns and associated factors of schooling Ghanaian adolescents
title_full_unstemmed Dietary patterns and associated factors of schooling Ghanaian adolescents
title_short Dietary patterns and associated factors of schooling Ghanaian adolescents
title_sort dietary patterns and associated factors of schooling ghanaian adolescents
topic Adolescents
Dietary pattern
School children
Anthropometric status
Ghana
url http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s41043-019-0162-8
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