Region and harvest season determine child feeding frequency in Ghana

Adequate feeding frequency (FF) helps to ensure young children obtain sufficient energy and nutrients for proper growth and development. In 2008, only 50% of breastfed and 22% of non‐breastfed Ghanaian children 6–23 mo consumed the minimum FF recommendations. No similar information exists for children 2–5 y. The objectives of this study were to determine what factors influence child FF in Ghana. Weighed food intake data of 76 children 2–5 y from 3 regions (2004–2009 ENAM study) were analyzed with ANCOVA to determine predictors of FF. Interviews with 40 caregivers of children < 5 y were conducted in two regions in 2011; grounded theory guided the generation of FF themes. FF was greater in the Central (p<0.05) and Brong Ahafo (p<0.001) regions compared to Upper East, during the post‐harvest compared to pre‐harvest season (p<0.05), and if a caregiver was unmarried compared to married (p=0.01). FF tended to be higher when a caregiver worked as an artisan compared to a farmer (p=0.06). Caregivers identified lack of time and money as main constraints, whereas caregivers with social networks and established working hours felt more confident in providing adequate FF. Strategies to increase child FF must acknowledge a caregiver's environmental context such as region of residence and season, as well as resource constraints, including time and food availability. Funding: Africa Initiative.