ArticlePloS one2020
Basic school pupils' food purchases during mid-morning break in urban Ghanaian schools.
Article in PloS one, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Obesogenicity of food in the informal food retail environment of low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review.BMJ global health · 2025Pooled it
- Impact of Street Food Availability on Nutritional Intake and Diet-Related Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2025Pooled it
- Adolescent-Selected Food Intake and Engagement with the External Food Environment Contribute to Unhealthy Diets in Accra, Ghana.Current developments in nutrition · 2026Article
- Food vendors in the school foodscape: roles, challenges and opportunities for improving child nutrition.Journal of public health research · 2026Article
- Vendor Hygiene Practices, Temporal Variation, and Microbial Quality of Soya Kebabs Sold in Public and Private Basic Schools in Sunyani, Ghana.Food science & nutrition · 2026Article
- A systematic scoping review of urban food environment research, interventions, and measurement approaches in eight low- and middle-income countries.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2026Article
- Food vendor characteristics in and around junior high schools and the relationship with adolescent diet quality in Ghana.Public health nutrition · 2025Article
- Long-term trends in obesity and overweight in women in Ghana from 2003-2023.Communications medicine · 2025Article
- How Children's Experiences and Perceptions of Their School Food Environment Influence Their Food-Related Decisions In-School in Urban Ghana.Maternal & child nutrition · 2025Article
- The School Food Environment in Ghana is Associated With Dietary Diversity and Anemia: Findings From the 2022 National Nutrition and Health Survey of In-School Adolescents.Food and nutrition bulletin · 2025Article
- Individual-Level Drivers of Food Choices and Diet Quality Among Adolescents in Urban West Africa: Evidence From Accra, Ghana.Maternal & child nutrition · 2025Article
- Nutritional quality and diversity in Ghana's school feeding programme: a mixed-methods exploration through caterer interviews in the Greater Accra Region.BMC nutrition · 2024Article
- Urban school neighbourhoods dominated by unhealthy food retailers and advertisements in Greater Tunis: a geospatial study in the midst of the nutrition transition.Public health nutrition · 2024Article
- Article
- Advertising of unhealthy foods and beverages around primary and junior high schools in Ghana's most urbanized and populous region.Frontiers in public health · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundUnhealthy food vending can expose children to malnutrition and other diet related challenges such as obesity. This study sought to describe types and sources of food in basic schools in urban Accra, and to describe food purchases by pupils.
methodsThis was a cross-sectional study of five basic schools (3 public; 2 private) and 644 pupils in the Ga-East Municipality in Ghana. Check-lists were used to document available sources of foods during school hours. Pupils were intercepted after making purchases during breaktime and the type, cost and sources of foods purchased documented. Energy content of foods were read from labels when available or estimated using the Ghana Food Composition database when unlabelled. Frequencies and crosstabs were used to compare food type by source and school type.
resultsFoods were purchased from school canteen, school store, private stores, and 'table-top' vendors. Meals were most frequently purchased (38%) although single purchases were sweetened drinks, savoury snacks and confectioneries. About 53% of retailers located within the schools sold relatively healthier food options. Similar foods with comparable energy content were purchased within and outside of school.
conclusionsBasic schools in urban Ghana provide ready access to energy dense food options, which are purchased by pupils both within and outside of school premises. Timely interventions inclusive of school food policies can encourage healthier diets among pupils.
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