FRUITS AND VEGETABLES CONSUMPTION AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG WOMEN OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE IN THE TAMALE METROPOLIS OF GHANA

Fruits and vegetables serve as major sources of micronutrient, and it is critical for development and growth through the life course. There is a paucity of information on fruits and vegetables intake among women of reproductive age in the Tamale Metropolis. The study assessed fruits and vegetable consumption and associated factors among women of reproductive age in Tamale Metropolis of Ghana. This research is an analytical cross-sectional study and involved 327 women of reproductive age selected through systematic random sampling from the Tamale Metropolis. Socio-demographic characteristics, dietary intake, and anthropometry were documented using a semistructured questionnaire. A 24-hour dietary recall method was used to assess fruits and vegetables intake, and evaluated based on Ghana’s Food-Based Dietary Guidelines. Descriptive statistics and chi-square test were performed. The mean (sd) age of the participants was 24.3±5.3 years. About 32% and 48% of the participants consumed fruits and vegetables, respectively. Regarding variety, 92% and 93.3% of participants had low fruits and low vegetable intake, respectively. The most consumed fruits were bananas (13.5%), mango (8.0%), orange (5.2%), and apple (4.9%), while the most consumed vegetables were tomato (34.3%), onion (30.6%), and pepper (25.1%). The educational status (X2 =67, p=0.035), marital status (X2 =5.9, p=0.022) and income status (X2 =6.5 p=0.024) were significantly associated with fruit intake. Vegetable intake had significant association (X2=4.9, p=0.036) with central obesity. There was low intake of fruits and vegetables among women in the Metropolis. The level of education, marital, and income of participants influenced fruits intake.