Dietary Quality and Associated Factors among Women of Reproductive Age in Six Sub-Saharan African Countries

oleh: Amynah Janmohamed, Melissa M. Baker, David Doledec, Fatou Ndiaye, Ahmenan Claude Liliane Konan, Amoakon Leonce, Koffi Landry Kouadio, Maguette Beye, Delphine Danboyi, Theresia J. Jumbe, Alex Ndjebayi, Caleb Ombati, Benjamin K. Njenga, Romance Dissieka

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2024-04-01

Deskripsi

The burden of micronutrient malnutrition is high among women of reproductive age (WRA) in sub-Saharan Africa. We examined the dietary quality and associated factors for WRA in Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, and Tanzania. Data were collected from women aged 15–49 years using representative Diet Quality Questionnaire surveys. The Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women (MDD-W), All-5 (key food group) consumption, noncommunicable disease risk (NCD-Risk), and Global Dietary Recommendation (GDR) indicators were assessed. Participants included N = 16,584 women [Cameroon: N = 2073; Côte d’Ivoire: N = 242; Kenya: N = 864; Adamawa State (Nigeria): N = 1283; Benue State (Nigeria): N = 1047; Nasarawa State (Nigeria): N = 1151; Senegal: N = 7232; Tanzania: N = 2692]. The MDD-W ranged from 43.0% in Tanzania to 81.4% in Côte d’Ivoire and was higher in urban, compared to rural, areas in Cameroon, Kenya, Nasarawa, Senegal, and Tanzania (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Increased education and wealth were positively associated with MDD-W in Kenya, Benue, Senegal, and Tanzania. Fewer than half of all women attained All-5 consumption. NCD-Risk scores ranged from 1.13 (95% CI: 1.08, 1.17) in Tanzania to 2.28 (95% CI: 2.16, 2.40) in Nasarawa, and women’s GDR scores ranged from 10.47 (95% CI: 10.40, 10.54) in Cameroon to 11.45 (95% CI: 11.25, 11.64) in Côte d’Ivoire. Our findings highlight key aspects of women’s diets in sub-Saharan African settings to enable greater awareness and more targeted responses to the specific areas needing the most improvement.