Abstract
Poor diet quality may contribute to the multiple forms of malnutrition among children in Ghana. This cross-sectional study (1) described the prevalence and frequency of consumption of fruits, vegetables, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB), salty snacks and sweet snacks among children 2-5 years in northern Ghana; (2) identified factors associated with consumption; and (3) examined relationships between consumption and nutritional status. Households were recruited from urban and rural clusters in Tolon and Kumbungu districts. Children's (2-5 years; n = 243) dietary data were collected using a questionnaire modelled after the WHO STEPS tool. We assessed children's height, weight, haemoglobin and micronutrient biomarker (n = 125) concentrations. We used multi-variable logistic and linear regression to identify individual, maternal and household factors predicting consumption of the food groups and relationships between consumption and nutritional status. In a typical week, most children consumed vegetables (98%), sweet snacks (81%) and fruits (76%); 50% consumed salty snacks and 46% consumed SSB. Average number of servings consumed weekly, mean (SD), was: 7.9 (7.3) vegetables, 2.9 (2.5) sweet snacks, 2.6 (3.9) SSB, 1.8 (1.7) fruits and 1.2 (1.7) salty snacks. Children in households with higher food insecurity were more likely to report consumption of all food groups (> 0 servings fruits, SSB, salty snacks and sweet snacks; ≥ 7 servings vegetables weekly), but other characteristics did not consistently predict consumption. Few associations were found between consumption and nutritional status. Interventions to increase fruit and vegetable intake to align with guidelines, while avoiding SSB and snack foods, are needed.