Availability of healthy and unhealthy foods in modern retail outlets located in selected districts of Greater Accra Region, Ghana.

Background: Intake of unhealthy foods is linked to the onset of obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Availability of unhealthy (nutritionally poor) foods can influence preference, purchasing and consumption of such foods. This study determined the healthiness of foods sold at modern retail outlets- supermarkets and mini-marts in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.

The Africa Food Environment Research Network (FERN): from concept to practice.

Background: Africa is contending with unhealthy food environments that are, in part, driving increasing rates of overweight, obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases, alongside persistent undernutrition. This current paradigm requires expanded efforts - both in the volume and nature of empirical research, as well as the tools and capacity of those who conduct it. High quality and context-relevant research supports the development and implementation of policies that create healthy food environments.

Community perceptions on the factors in the social food environment that influence dietary behaviour in cities of Kenya and Ghana: a Photovoice study.

Objective: To explore communities' perspectives on the factors in the social food environment that influence dietary behaviours in African cities.

Design: A qualitative study using participatory photography (Photovoice). Participants took and discussed photographs representing factors in the social food environment that influence their dietary behaviours.

Advertising of unhealthy foods and beverages around primary and junior high schools in Ghana's most urbanized and populous region.

Introduction: The advertising of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods and beverages is a common feature in obesogenic food environments. Such advertising, within and around settings where children live, learn, and play, negatively affects their food acquisition and consumption. We examined the extent and nature of food and beverage advertising around primary and junior high schools in Ghana's most populous and urbanized region, Greater Accra.

Perspective: Food Environment Research Priorities for Africa-Lessons from the Africa Food Environment Research Network.

Over the last 2 decades, many African countries have undergone dietary and nutrition transitions fueled by globalization, rapid urbanization, and development. These changes have altered African food environments and, subsequently, dietary behaviors, including food acquisition and consumption. Dietary patterns associated with the nutrition transition have contributed to Africa's complex burden of malnutrition-obesity and other diet-related noncommunicable diseases (DR-NCDs)-along with persistent food insecurity and undernutrition.

Providing Measurement, Evaluation, Accountability, and Leadership Support (MEALS) for Non-communicable Diseases Prevention in Ghana: Project Implementation Protocol.

This study describes the rationale, adaptation, and final protocol of a project developed to address the increase in obesity and nutrition-related non-communicable diseases (NR-NCDs) in Ghana. Code-named the Measurement, Evaluation, Accountability, and Leadership Support for NCDs (MEALS4NCDs) project, it aims to measure and support public sector actions that create healthy food marketing, retail, and provisioning environments for Ghanaian children using adapted methods from the International Network for Food and Obesity/NCDs Research Monitoring and Action Support (INFORMAS). The protocol for this observational study draws substantially from the INFORMAS' Food Promotion and Food Provision Modules.

Urban physical food environments drive dietary behaviours in Ghana and Kenya: A photovoice study.

We identified factors in the physical food environment that influence dietary behaviours among low-income dwellers in three African cities (Nairobi, Accra, Ho). We used Photovoice with 142 males/females (≥13 years). In the neighbourhood environment, poor hygiene, environmental sanitation, food contamination and adulteration were key concerns.

The African urban food environment framework for creating healthy nutrition policy and interventions in urban Africa.

This study developed, validated, and evaluated a framework of factors influencing dietary behaviours in urban African food environments, to inform research prioritisation and intervention development in Africa. A multi-component methodology, drawing on concept mapping, was employed to construct a framework of factors influencing dietary behaviours in urban Africa. The framework adapted a widely used socio-ecological model (developed in a high-income country context) and was developed using a mixed-methods research approach that comprised: i.

Investigating foods and beverages sold and advertised in deprived urban neighbourhoods in Ghana and Kenya: a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to characterise the local foods and beverages sold and advertised in three deprived urban African neighbourhoods.

Design: Cross-sectional observational study. We undertook an audit of all food outlets (outlet type and food sold) and food advertisements.

Implementation of healthy food environment policies to prevent nutrition-related non-communicable diseases in Ghana: National experts' assessment of government action.

Nutrition-related non-communicable diseases (NR-NCDs) are a global health problem, increasingly recognised as driven by unhealthy food environments. Yet little is known about government action to implement food environment-relevant policies, particularly in low-and lower-middle income countries. This study assessed government action, implementation gaps, and priorities to improve the food environment in Ghana.