Laar Amos, Kelly Bridget, Holdsworth Michelle, Quarpong Wilhemina, Aryeetey Richmond, Amevinya Gideon Senyo, Tandoh Akua, Agyemang Charles, Zotor Francis, Laar Matilda E, Mensah Kobby, Laryea Dennis, Asiki Gershim, Pradeilles Rebecca, Sellen Daniel, L'Abbe Mary R, Vandevijvere Stefanie
Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
Early Start, School of Health and Society, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
Front Nutr. 2021 Aug 18;8:644320. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2021.644320. eCollection 2021.
This study describes the rationale, adaptation, and final protocol of a project developed to address the increase in obesity and nutrition-related non-communicable diseases (NR-NCDs) in Ghana. Code-named the Measurement, Evaluation, Accountability, and Leadership Support for NCDs (MEALS4NCDs) project, it aims to measure and support public sector actions that create healthy food marketing, retail, and provisioning environments for Ghanaian children using adapted methods from the International Network for Food and Obesity/NCDs Research Monitoring and Action Support (INFORMAS). The protocol for this observational study draws substantially from the INFORMAS' Food Promotion and Food Provision Modules. However, to appraise the readiness of local communities to implement interventions with strong potential to improve food environments of Ghanaian children, the MEALS4NCDs protocol has innovatively integrated a local community participatory approach based on the community readiness model (CRM) into the INFORMAS approaches. The setting is Ghana, and the participants include health and nutrition policy-makers, nutrition and food service providers, consumers, school authorities, and pupils of Ghanaian basic schools. The study establishes a standardized approach to providing implementation science evidence for the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Ghana. It demonstrates feasibility and the innovative application of the INFORMAS expanded food promotion and food provision modules, together with the integration of the CRM in a lower-middle income setting. The research will facilitate the understanding of the processes through which the INFORMAS approach is contextualized to a lower-middle income African context. The protocol could be adapted for similar country settings to monitor relevant aspects of food environments of children.
本研究描述了一个项目的基本原理、调整过程及最终方案，该项目旨在应对加纳肥胖率上升以及与营养相关的非传染性疾病（NR-NCDs）问题。该项目代号为“非传染性疾病的测量、评估、问责与领导力支持”（MEALS4NCDs），旨在运用国际食品与肥胖/非传染性疾病研究监测与行动支持网络（INFORMAS）的适配方法，测量并支持公共部门为加纳儿童创造健康食品营销、零售及供应环境的行动。这项观察性研究的方案主要借鉴了INFORMAS的食品推广和食品供应模块。然而，为了评估当地社区实施有强大潜力改善加纳儿童食品环境干预措施的准备情况，MEALS4NCDs方案创新性地将基于社区准备度模型（CRM）的当地社区参与方法融入到INFORMAS方法中。研究地点为加纳，参与者包括卫生与营养政策制定者、营养与食品服务提供者、消费者、学校当局以及加纳基础教育学校的学生。该研究建立了一种标准化方法，为加纳预防非传染性疾病（NCDs）提供实施科学证据。它展示了INFORMAS扩展的食品推广和食品供应模块的可行性及创新应用，以及CRM在中低收入环境中的整合。该研究将有助于理解INFORMAS方法在非洲中低收入背景下的情境化过程。该方案可适用于类似的国家环境，以监测儿童食品环境的相关方面。
