Determinants of Dietary Patterns of Mother-Child Dyads in Ghana

Abstract Objectives Holistic understanding of dietary patterns of a population is an efficient approach to developing and implementing nutrition interventions and policies to counteract malnutrition. Dietary patterns of nutritionally vulnerable women and children in Ghana is not known. We aimed to characterize dietary patterns of women (15–49 yrs) and their children (0–3 yrs) and investigate the socio-economic/demographic factors influencing the characterized dietary patterns. Methods In this national representative population, mother-child dyads’ (n = 1548) data, food intake and sociodemographic data were obtained from the 2008 Ghana Demographic Health Survey. The dyads’ dietary patterns and determinants of the identified dietary patterns were obtained using principal component analysis and multiple variable logistic regression respectively. Results Four (‘Beverage & sugary based’, ‘Meat based’, ‘Indigenous- tuber based’ and ‘Indigenous- grain based’) dietary patterns emerged for women and two (‘Indigenous’ and ‘Milk, Meat, & cereal based’) dietary patterns emerged for children. Socio-economic/demographic factors such as ethnicity, wealth quintiles, parity, seasonality, dyad's age, body mass index, education, household head's age, residence, marital status, and household size emerged as determinants of the identified dietary patterns. Conclusions These findings are hoped to provide scientific bases to guide interventions, recommendations, and policy programs targeted at women and children in Ghana. Additionally, it serves as a model for further research and a possible basis for studies on the association between dietary patterns and development of diseases. Funding Sources None.