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The magnitude and pattern of purchased ready‐to‐eat foods in the diets of rural Ghanaian children
Author(s) -
Colecraft Esi K,
Marquis Grace S,
Lartey Anna A,
SakyiDawson Owuraku,
Ahunu Benjamin,
Butler Lorna M,
Jensen Helen H,
Reddy Manju B,
Lonergan Elisabeth
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.21.5.a55
Subject(s) - morning , geography , environmental science , environmental health , zoology , medicine , biology
Purchase of ready‐to‐eat foods (RTEF) for children is common in urban Ghana but little is known about this practice in rural areas. We collected data on the purchase of RTEF in the past week by caregivers (N=530) of preschoolers living in 6 rural communities in 3 regions of Ghana. About 82% (N=433) of caregivers purchased RTEF in the past week. RTEF were purchased less frequently in northern (2.3 ± 0.1 times/wk) than in forest and coastal communities (3.0 ± 0.1 and 3.1 ± 0.2 times/wk, respectively; p<0.0001). RTEF was purchased most frequently for children in forest communities (56.9 ± 3.3%) and least frequently in northern communities (34.1 ± 3.4%; p<0.05). At least 60% of RTEF purchased for children were obtained in the morning. RTEF for children in forest communities was more likely to contain animal foods than in northern communities (34% vs 16% of the time, respectively; p<0.05). There were regional differences in the time of day when ASF‐based RTEF were given to children (p<0.05). The magnitude and patterns of purchased RTEF have implications for nutrition interventions in rural communities. This was supported through the GL‐CRSP, funded in part by USAID, Grant # PCE‐G‐00‐98‐00036‐00