Examine factors affecting eating habits and food choices of adolescents living in the Fahiakobo and Kwamekrom rural communities of Bibiani in the Western North Region of Ghana

Abstract

Adolescents was defined by the United Nations (UNICEF, 2019) as those between ten (10) and nineteen (19) years old. It is a period of physiological stress for the body because of extremely rapid rate of growth. The diet plays a crucial role in promoting growth; hence the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for all nutrients are high during 13-18 years of age. The main nutritional problems which affect adolescents are under nutrition, in terms of stunting, thinness, catch-up growth, and intrauterine growth retardation in pregnant adolescent girls, iron deficiencies and other specific nutrient deficiencies (WHO, 2002). Food choice is a complex process and it may require more or less consideration (Vabø &Hansen, 2019). The purpose of the study is to examine factors affecting eating habits and food choices of adolescents living in the Fahiakobo and Kwamekrom rural communities of Bibiani in the Western North Region of Ghana. The objectives of the study are to examine the factors influencing the eating habits of adolescents in Fahiakobo and Kwamekrom communities of Bibiani, examine the factors influencing food choices of adolescents in Fahiakobo and Kwamekrom rural communities of Bibiani and identify the health effects of eating habits and food choices on adolescents in the Fahiakobo and Kwamekrom rural communities in Bibiani. The research design used for this study was the combined approaches of a cross-sectional survey. In this study, both primary and secondary data were used as methods of data collection. This study used data collection tools which involve observation, interview and questionnaires. As a descriptive survey, statistical tools such as the Statistical Package for Social Scientist (SPSS), Statistical Analysis software, simple measures of central tendencies (that is ratios and percentages) were used together with summarized