Relationship between regional child malnutrition differentials and food and nutrition security in northern Ghana

Abstract

Traditionally, northern Ghana (defined in this study as: Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions) is noted for the production of nutritious foodstuffs such as groundnuts, beans, guinea and corn/millet that are commonly used in the preparation of healthy children food. Nevertheless, child malnutrition has been relatively high in northern Ghana with some regional variations, particularly between the periods 1993 and 2014. This thesis analyzed the regional differentials in child malnutrition and food and nutrition security in northern Ghana. Methodologically, the survey questionnaires and interview schedules approach formed the main primary data collection sources and instruments. Geographic data and information from the Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (1993- 2008) were the secondary data employed. Additionally, based on cross tabulation, discriminant, factor, linear regression and multiple linear regression analyses the study data were analyzed. The findings of the study revealed that significant regional differences in child malnutrition and food and nutrition security exist between the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions. Lack of income and limited access to good food were found to be the main factors that account for child malnutrition in northern Ghana. It is recommended that the activities of the Northern Ghana Food Security Resilience Project (NGFSRP) that promotes effective and intensive agricultural production including dry season gardening and the preparation and sale of nutritious infant and child food in the Upper West and Northern regions should be extended to cover the Upper East Region.