Speaker
Description
Background: Market vendors are critical to Ghana’s food economy but remain underrepresented in health research.
Objective This study investigates the complex interrelationships between food security, mental health, dietary patterns, and body composition among vendors in the Kumasi metropolis.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 130 vendors from four major markets. Data on sociodemographics, dietary patterns, food security, and mental health were collected using standard questionnaires. Anthropometry was measured with a stadiometer and bioimpedance analyzer, while haemoglobin levels were assessed using a Urit meter. Linear and logistic regression models were applied.
Key findings: Food insecurity affected 45% of participants, while 33.1% were anaemic. High psychological distress (55.4%) and poor sleep hygiene (67.7%) were common. Food insecurity was significantly associated with psychological distress (B = 0.367, p < 0.001). A sugar-enriched dietary pattern increased odds of anaemia (cOR = 3.10, 95% CI = 1.12–8.59, p = 0.030) and high waist-to-hip ratio (cOR = 9.82, p = 0.006), while omega-rich diets reduced the risk of client-based burnout by 70% (cOR = 0.30, p = 0.024). Dairy-grain-beverage patterns lowered odds of psychological distress by 68% (cOR = 0.32, p = 0.023). A vegetable-enriched diet reduced risk of high visceral adiposity by 63%. Participants with high psychological distress had fourfold increased odds of obesity (cOR = 4.00, p = 0.023), while burnout was linked to low muscle mass.
Implications: Findings reveal strong association between food insecurity, mental health, dietary patterns, and body composition among market vendors. Targeted workplace nutrition and mental health interventions promoting healthier diets, stress management, and economic empowerment are crucial to reducing malnutrition, obesity, and burnout in this population.
Keywords: Food insecurity, dietary patterns, mental health, body composition, anaemia, urban market vendors.