Nutrition status of ghanaian women with young children-dietary intake, anthropometric and life style data

Abstract

Proper nutrition and health status of nursing mothers is very important for both the mother and her child. When grain or tuber based staple foods dominate and diets lack vegetables, fruits, and animal source foods, risk for a variety of micronutrient deficiencies is high. Those most likely to suffer from deficiencies include infants and young children, and adolescent girls and women of reproductive age. This study describes the nutritional status of Ghanaian nursing mothers with a special focus on their dietary habits, quality of their diets, anthropometric data, physical activity and life style data such as food supplements used during and after pregnancy and smoking history. Additionally, we determined the associations between the women‟s dietary habits, socio-demographic data, anthropometry and life style data. So far, very few studies on nutritional status of women in Ghana exist, and no studies have been found on nutritional assessment of lactating mothers in Ghana.