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. 2024 Feb 1;53(1):dyad171.
doi: 10.1093/ije/dyad171.

Factors associated with frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption among selected sub-Saharan African populations: evidence from the Cardiovascular H3Africa Innovation Resource Project

Akinkunmi Paul Okekunle  1   2 , Osahon Jeffery Asowata  3 , Onoja Matthew Akpa  3   4   5 , Adekunle Gregory Fakunle  1   6 , Tinashe Chikowore  7   8 , Shukri F Mohamed  9 , Reginald Obiako  10 , Morenikeji Komolafe  11 , Godwin O Osaigbovo  12 , Godwin Ogbole  13 , Oyedunni Arulogun  14 , Fred Stephen Sarfo  15 , Kolawole Wahab  16 , Lukman Owolabi  17 , Joshua Akinyemi  3 , Albert Akpalu  18 , Ezinne Uvere  1 , Rufus Akinyemi  19   20 , Carolyn Jenkins  21 , Donna K Arnett  22 , Daniel Lackland  23 , Bruce Ovbiagele  24 , Michèle Ramsay  8   25 , Mayowa Owolabi  1   20   26   27 ; SIREN, AWI-Gen and the H3Africa Consortium
Collaborators, Affiliations

Factors associated with frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption among selected sub-Saharan African populations: evidence from the Cardiovascular H3Africa Innovation Resource Project

Akinkunmi Paul Okekunle et al. Int J Epidemiol. .

Abstract

Background: Frequent fruit and vegetable consumption is considered a promising dietary behaviour that protects health. However, most existing studies about the factors associated with this phenomenon among Africans are based on single-country reports, apart from one meta-regression combining smaller studies. This study harmonized large datasets and assessed factors associated with the frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption in this population.

Methods: Individual-level data on sociodemographics, lifestyle and diet from 20 443 participants across five African countries (Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria), from the Stroke Investigative Research and Educational Network (SIREN) and Africa Wits-INDEPTH partnership for Genomic Research (AWI-Gen) studies, were harmonized. Total frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption (in portions/week) was classified as 'low' (≤6), 'moderate' (7-14) and 'high' (≥15). Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of factors associated with the total frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption (using 'low' consumption as the reference) were estimated using multinomial regression models.

Results: Mean age of participants was 54.3 ± 11.8 years, 10 641 (52.1%) were female, and the median (interquartile range) frequency of total fruit and vegetable consumption was 10.0 (4.0, 21.0) portions/week. Participants with a family history of cardiovascular disease [moderate (aOR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.85, 1.00) and high (aOR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.78, 0.92)], current smokers [moderate (aOR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.74, 0.94) and high (aOR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.69, 0.88)], current alcohol users [moderate (aOR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.85, 1.00) and high (aOR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.76, 0.89)] and physically inactive participants [moderate (aOR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.75, 0.96) and high (aOR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.70, 0.90)] were less likely to consume fruits and vegetables frequently.

Conclusion: Africans with lifestyle risk factors for cardiovascular disease were less likely to consume fruit and vegetables frequently.

Keywords: Africans; Fruits; behaviour; diet; food frequency; lifestyle; vegetables.

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Conflict of interest statement

None declared.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Forest plots of odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of factors associated with the total frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption in the SIREN and AWI-Gen studies. All variables were included in a single model. AWI-Gen, Africa Wits-INDEPTH partnership for Genomic Research; CVD, cardiovascular disease; NCD, non-communicable disease; SIREN, Stroke Investigative Research and Educational Network
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Forest plots of odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of factors associated with the frequency of fruit consumption only in the SIREN and AWI-Gen studies. All variables were included in a single model. AWI-Gen, Africa Wits-INDEPTH partnership for Genomic Research; CVD, cardiovascular disease; NCD, non-communicable disease; SIREN, Stroke Investigative Research and Educational Network
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Forest plots of odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of factors associated with the frequency of vegetable consumption only in the SIREN and AWI-Gen studies. All variables were included in a single model. AWI-Gen, Africa Wits-INDEPTH partnership for Genomic Research; CVD, cardiovascular disease; NCD, non-communicable disease; SIREN, Stroke Investigative Research and Educational Network
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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