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

• Published in: Nutrients 2024-04, Vol.16 (8), p.1115
• Main Authors: Janmohamed, Amynah, Baker, Melissa M, Doledec, David, Ndiaye, Fatou, Konan, Ahmenan Claude Liliane, Leonce, Amoakon, Kouadio, Koffi Landry, Beye, Maguette, Danboyi, Delphine, Jumbe, Theresia J, Ndjebayi, Alex, Ombati, Caleb, Njenga, Benjamin K, Dissieka, Romance
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Africa; Africa South of the Sahara - epidemiology; Anemia; Cote d'Ivoire - epidemiology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diet; Diet - statistics & numerical data; Diet Surveys; dietary diversity; Female; Food; food groups; Fruits; Households; Humans; Meat; Middle Aged; nutrition; Nutrition research; Nutritional Status; Nuts; Rural areas; Rural Population - statistics & numerical data; Socioeconomic Factors; Urban areas; Vegetables; Vitamin A; women; Womens health; Young Adult
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu16081115

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 ( < 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.