Title:
Determinants of Childhood Obesity and Policy and Programme Response in Ghana
Authors:
Ansong, Kwadwo
Place:
Amsterdam
Publisher:
KIT - Royal Tropical Institute [etc.]
Year:
2017
PAGE:
x, 42
Language:
En
Subject:
Health and Nutrition
Keywords:
Determinants, Childhood, Obesity, Overweight, Overnutrition, Policy, Programme, Ghana, Africa
Abstract:
Background: The purpose of this study is to explore and identify the various drivers underpinning the emerging increasing trends in childhood obesity in Ghana; and to further analyse policy and programmatic response to the drivers, with the view to make evidence- informed recommendations to help tackle childhood obesity in Ghana. Method: Haddad’s Conceptual Framework for the analysis of double burden of malnutrition is used to guide the literature review. A search was done using PubMed[with MeSH terms], Google Scholar, Google electronic search engines as well as the Vrije Universeit Library database to source for relevant articles for the study. This is supplemented by snowball method of a literature search to identify articles from the reference list of current published papers. Desk study (Grey literature) was conducted to collect unpublished articles, policy documents, reports, guidelines and other relevant information from the official websites of organisations/institutions[CDC, GES, GHS, GHS, MOE, MOFA, MOH, WHO] whose operations are important to the study. The study included all relevant articles published in the last 10 years (from 2007-2017), peer-viewed, in English language, and met the WHO’s definition of a child. Exceptions, however were made to include important papers and documents identified only by snowballing method, and are below the years specified. All other articles outside these criteria were excluded. Result: The following key determinants emerged as the drivers of childhood obesity in Ghana: the food environment, built environment, social environment, socioeconomic status, female sex , poor dietary habit and physical inactivity. The result further found no clear school policies to address school unhealthy food practices, no clear strategies to tackle overnutrition, no prioritization of playing grounds for children, and no guidelines to encourage physical activity as key policy and programmatic gaps to obesity response. Conclusion: Childhood obesity is increasing in Ghana. This has been recognised and given some sort of attention in policies. However, harmonization of policies are lacking and there fore, a whole-of-government approach is necessary to effectively tackle this problem of growing childhood obesity going into the future.
Organization:
KIT - Royal Tropical Institute
,
VU - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Institute:
KIT (Royal Tropical Institute)
Country:
Ghana
Region:
West Africa
Training:
Master of Public Health
Category:
Research
Right:
@ 2017 Ansong
Document type:
Thesis/dissertation
File:
B5fadEmFiP_20180412125520349.pdf