Malnutrition among men in Ghana: socio-demographic factors and rural-urban differences

Research on malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa, including Ghana, has primarily focused on women and children, with less attention paid to men. We estimate the prevalence and examine the correlates and place differentials in malnutrition among Ghanaian adult males aged 20 to 59 years.

We analyzed data from the seventh round of the Ghana Living Standards Survey. The analytical sample includes 8,117 (weighted) adult males who had valid data on anthropometric measures and sociodemographic characteristics of interest. Malnutrition was assessed using respondents' body mass index (BMI). Respondents were classified as being underweight, normal weight, overweight/obese using the standard World Health Organization BMI cut-off points. Descriptive and multinomial logistic regression analysis techniques were employed in analyzing the data.

One in four (25.3%) adult males aged 20-59 years in Ghana were identified to be overweight/obese. Increasing age, being married, having at least junior high school education, being of middle or high wealth status and being a Christian or Moslem were associated with increased odds of being overweight/obese while living in a rural area and having access to improved water sources were associated with a lower likelihood of being overweight/obese.

Interventions on lifestyle behavior changes aimed at addressing overweight and obesity, including eating healthy diets and being physically active should target married, educated and wealthy men who are most at risk of being overweight/obese. Additionally, men need to be educated on the increased risk of overweight/obesity associated with increasing age and encouraged to adopt healthier lifestyles as they age.