ASSESSING DIETARY DIVERSITY OF FATHERS IN MANKESSIM IN THE MFANTSEMAN MUNICIPALITY

ABSTRACT

The evidence of nutritional problems in Ghana can be seen in the numerous Diet Related Non-Communicable Diseases in the Ghanaian population. Authors have deliberated on nutritional adequacies and the importance of supplying a varied diet. A lot has been done on single nutrient deficiencies, as well as child and maternal malnutrition. Women Dietary Diversity Projects have also been carried out in other parts of the world. In much the same way, we can study men’s diet and provide potential intervention strategies needed to improve their health. Thus, using the descriptive design mainly through questionnaire and interview, this study set out to assess dietary diversity of fathers and find out which factors influence dietary diversities of fathers. Two hundred and seventy-eight fathers in Mankessim were sampled using the multi-staged sampling technique. The study pointed out a low dietary diversity of fathers and their families as well as positive perception of fathers on the importance of dietary diversity. However the Families’ dietary diversity significantly contributed to fathers’ dietary diversity but not fathers’ perception. The money available, food prepared by wives or homemakers, appetite for food, available food at home, nutritional information in the media and fathers’ understanding of healthy diet, tend to influence the dietary diversity of fathers to a large extent. Fathers’ dietary needs are met by homemakers of fathers’ families, food vendors and fathers themselves. Nutrition interventions that target fathers should include their homemakers as well as food vendors.