Dietary Intake on Obesity Risk Among Residents in Ga Mashie, Accra, Ghana

Background: With more than 890 million people living with obesity and 2 to 5 billion adults expected to be overweight in 2022, OBS (obesity) is becoming one of the main health determinants in the world. This shows a significant increase since 1990, although there are regional variations in prevalence rates. Few studies have investigated the potential protective effects of traditional diets in communities such as Ga Mashie in Ghana against this condition. Methodology: This study employed a cross-sectional analysis of data from the Contextual Awareness, Response, and Evaluation (CARE) diabetes survey. The tool used in obtaining data for dietary intake was the Diet Quality Questionnaire (DQQ) for Ghanaians. Demographic characteristics were summed up using descriptive statistics. Regression analysis was used see how independent variables interact with dependent variables. STATA software was used to conduct a bivariate and multivariate analysis to investigate the relationship between variables and outcomes. Results: Dietary habits revealed a strong tendency to include grains and whole grains in the diet. However, intake of protective food groups, which include pulses, nuts, fruits and vegetables, was found to be significantly lower. The NCD-Protect index showed that only 34.31% of the subjects had a high intake of protective foods, while the NCD-Risk index showed a staggering 87.70% displayed a low intake of detrimental foods. In total, more than 60% of the participants were classified as overweight or obese. Conclusion: This research revealed significant nutritional deficiency among Ga Mashie residents, as their diets primarily consist of grain-based stables with little intake of protective food categories like fruits, vegetables, pulses, and nuts. Although the intake of ultra-processed foods is relatively low, the majority of participants exhibit low NCD-Protect scores, indicating a diet lacking in crucial nutrients that support the prevention of obesity and other NCDs.