Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41484983›Full record

ArticleBMC global and public health2026

Longitudinal changes in processed food intake and their daily caloric contribution among Ghanaian populations living in Ghana and Europe: findings from the prospective Research on Obesity and Diabetes among African Migrants (RODAM) cohort study.

Mustapha Titi Yussif, Reginald Adjetey Annan, Anthony Edusei, Mary Nicolaou, Erik Beune, Samuel Nkansah Darko, Ina Danquah, Karlijn A C Meeks, Ellis Owusu-Dabo, Charles Agyemang

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Article in BMC global and public health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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1citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Mustapha Titi YussifDepartment of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biosciences, College of Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. mtyussif@st.knust.edu.gh.
Reginald Adjetey AnnanDepartment of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biosciences, College of Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
Anthony EduseiDepartment of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biosciences, College of Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
Mary NicolaouDepartment of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Erik BeuneDepartment of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Samuel Nkansah DarkoDepartment of Molecular Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana.
Ina DanquahHeidelberg Institute of Global Health (HIGH), Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Medizinische Fakultät der Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
Karlijn A C MeeksDepartment of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Ellis Owusu-DaboSchool of Public Health, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana.
Charles AgyemangDepartment of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Funding

European Research Council 772244
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDietary changes towards increased consumption of processed and ultra-processed foods are major contributors to obesity and non-communicable diseases worldwide. However, limited data exist on the intake of processed foods among Ghanaians living in Ghana and their migrant counterparts living in Europe. This study assessed changes in the intake of processed foods and their corresponding energy contributions among different Ghanaian populations.

methodsData were collected from the Research on Obesity and Diabetes among African Migrants-prospective (RODAM-Pros) cohort study, which recruited Ghanaians living in rural and urban Ghana and Ghanaian migrants living in Amsterdam, the Netherlands between baseline (2011-2015) and follow-up (2019-2021). Dietary intake was assessed using standardized food frequency questionnaires. Foods were regrouped according to the NOVA classification, a system that categorizes food based on the degree of processing. Paired sample t-tests were used to determine the differences in mean daily intake (grams) of foods and energy contribution between baseline and follow-up.

resultsCompared with baseline, ultra-processed food consumption decreased significantly among urban Ghanaians (-37.6%, -97.57 g/day, 95% confidence interval (CI) -129.66 to -65.48, p < 0.001) and migrants in Amsterdam (-31.1%, -168.90 g/day; 95%CI -241.54 to -96.26, p < 0.001) with no significant change in rural Ghana. The percentage of total energy from ultra-processed foods changed from 9.6 to 9.0% (p = 0.136) in rural Ghana, 15.9% to 13.9% (p < 0.001) in urban Ghana and 13.4% to 13.0% (p = 0.539) in Amsterdam. Conversely, processed food consumption increased across all sites: by 52.4% (+ 149.31 g/day, 95%CI127.70 to 170.92, p < 0.001) in rural Ghana, 31.4% (+ 96.67 g/day, 95%CI 75.15 to 118.19, p < 0.001) in urban Ghana and 29.0% (+ 62.91 g/day, 95%CI 44.18 to 81.63, p < 0.001) in Amsterdam. The percentage of total energy from processed food increased significantly from 20.8 to 39.5% (p < 0.001) in rural Ghana, 23.6% to 33.5% (p < 0.001) in urban Ghana and 7.2% to 12.9% (p < 0.001) among migrants.

conclusionsAcross all Ghanaian population groups studied, dietary intake has shifted towards higher intake and caloric contribution of processed foods, while ultra-processed food consumption has declined in urban and migrant settings. Further research is needed to identify the drivers of these changes and their implications for cardio-metabolic health among Ghanaian populations.

Indexed as

EnergyGhanaNOVAProcessed foodsUltra-processed foods

Identifiers

PMID41484983
PMCPMC12763962

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