Urban food environments in Africa: implications for policy and research

Abstract

Africa is currently experiencing rapid urbanisation impacting on people's food environments and dietary habits. Such changes are associated with higher prevalence of obesity coexisting with undernutrition. The present paper provides an overview of the healthiness of African urban food environments. We discuss the ways that food environments can be characterised and summarise the methods that can be used to investigate and intervene in the food environment. Data for Africa over a 50-year period (1961–2013) suggest an increasing availability of energy, animal products, fruit and vegetables, vegetable oils, sugar and sweeteners but a decrease in animal fats. There is a lack of evidence about how social, physical and macro-environments drive dietary habits in urban Africa, as most research has focused on the individual level. Examining how food consumption is embedded in everyday life, by investigating social environments is crucial to developing effective interventions. The informal food sector plays an important role in the retail food environment. Macro-level food price changes are an important factor influencing nutritional quality of African diets. The rapid expansion of food/beverages advertising in Africa threatens traditional food habits. Liberalisation of food trade is already impacting on the nutritional quality of food available. Improving African food environments represents a pressing public health concern and has the potential to prevent all forms of malnutrition. Hence, by conducting research into the role of urban social, physical and macro-environments, emerging interventions and policies are likely to positively impact on nutritional status, thereby enhancing social and economic development.

Factors influencing dietary behaviours in urban food environments in Africa: a systematic mapping review

“…More demographic factors were identified in adult women than in mixed adult studies. In one quantitative study of adults conducted in Burkina Faso, males of higher SES, as measured by income and education were significantly aggregated in the 'urban' diet cluster, 1Disordered eating Gitau et al (38)QN ‡ Males adolescent Body satisfaction 1Disordered eating Gitau et al (38)QN ‡ Males adolescent Body image perception 1Food intake Waswa (59)QN * Female adult Food knowledge 3Fruit and vegetable intake Landais (44) /Landais et al (45)QN † Mixed adult Food choice Agbozo et al (28)QN ‡ Mixed adult Food intake Waswa (59)QN * Female adult Perception of diet quality (1) Dietary diversity Becquey et al (31)QN † Mixed adolescent and adult Perception of diet quantity (1) Dietary diversity Becquey et al (31)QN † Mixed adolescent and adult Lifestyle/behaviours (15) Dieting (1) Dietary habits Sedibe et al (26) /Voorend et al (27)QL Female adolescent Skipping meals (1) Fruit and vegetable intake Landais (44) /Landais et al (45)QN * Female adult Snacking (1) Dietary diversity Becquey et al (31)QN † Mixed adolescent and adult Habit/routine (1) Food choice Charlton et al (61)MM Female adolescent and adult Household dietary diversity (1) Dietary diversity Cisse-Egbuonye et al (32)QN † Female adolescent and adult Processed food consumption (1) Fruit and vegetable intake Landais (44) /Landais et al (45)QN * Female adult Eating out occasions (1) Fruit and vegetable intake Landais (44) /Landais et al (45)QN * Female adult Eating three daily meals (1) Fruit and vegetable intake Landais (44) /Landais et al …”

“…Mixed adolescent and adult; Mixed adult and adolescent Financial insecurity (1) Unhealthy eating choice Draper et al (22)QL Female adult Social environment (11) Family (9) Marital status (6) Fruit and vegetable intake and diversity…”

“…Landais (44) /Landais et al (45) (25)QL and Jafri et al (42) QN * Female adolescent and adult; Adult women Dietary diversity Becquey et al (31)QN † and Savy et al (53)QN * Mixed adolescent and adult; Female adult Household social roles (1) Snacking Batnitzky (18)QL Mixed adult Household composition (4) Meal skipping Onyiriuka et al (51)QN * Female adolescent and adult Food intake Batnitzky (18)QL Mixed adult Dietary diversity Codjoe et al (33)QN ‡ and Cisse-Egbuonye et al (32)QN ‡ Mixed adult and adolescent; Female adolescent and adult Eating companions (2) Meal skipping Onyiriuka et al (51)QN * Female adolescent and adult Food choice Brown et al (20)QL Mixed adolescent and adult Shared bowl (1) Fruit and vegetable intake and diversity Landais (43) /Landais et al (45)QN ‡ Female adult What rest of family eat (2) Food choice Charlton et al (61)MM and Boatemma et al (19) QL Female adolescent and adult; Mixed adolescent and adult Number of children (1) Fruit and vegetable intake and diversity…”

“…Parental influence (1) Adequacy of food intake Waswa (59)QN * Female adult Support in the household 3Food choice Boatemma et al (19)QL , Becquey et al (31) (26) */Voorend et al (27)QL * Female adolescent Food choice Boatemma et al (19)QL Mixed adolescent and adult Adequacy of food intake Waswa (59)QN * Female adult Fast-food intake Van zyl et al (58)QN * Mixed adult Religious groups (1) Dietary intake Pradeilles (62) 3Adequacy of food intake Waswa (59) 3Fruit and vegetable intake/ diversity Landais (44) /Landais et al (45)QN * Female adult…”

Characterizing Urban Home Gardening and Associated Factors to Shape Fruit and Vegetable Consumption among Non-Farmers in Thailand

“…While urban living can offer many opportunities, including better health care access, many urban environments may have adverse effects on lifestyles, especially in terms of poor diets. The urban food environment may offer diversity as well as greater access to unhealthy and unsafe food choices [3] such as processed foods and prepared meals, which tend to be high in fat/sugar/salt, and street food that may be inferior in nutritional quality and hygiene. This unhealthy lifestyle directly affects a person's overall health status.…”