Demographic and socioeconomic determinants influencing households' engagement in out-of-home food consumption in the Western region of Ghana.
- 1Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana. [email protected].
- 2Department of Population and Health, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
Abstract
Background
Evidence indicates that foods consumed outside the home are often more energy-dense and less nutrient-rich than home-prepared meals, contributing to poorer dietary quality and increased risks of overweight, obesity, and other diet-related non-communicable diseases.Objective
Therefore, the study sought to examine the extent to which demographic and socioeconomic determinants influence households' engagement in out-of-home food consumption in the Western region of Ghana.Methods
The study employed a cross-sectional descriptive design and applied a four multistage sampling technique to select 1,200 household heads from eight communities across four districts in the Western region. The study was conducted from 5 June 2025 to 4 June 2026. Data were gathered using a structured questionnaire developed to measure the variables of interest. The data were analyzed using frequency distributions, Pearson's chi-square test, and binary logistic regression in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 27, with the level of statistical significance set at 0.05.Results
The study found that the majority of households (54.5%) had engaged in out-of-home food consumption, while 45.5% did not. The study found that households with a tertiary school education (AOR = 1.543; 95% CI: 1.014-2.347; p=.043), and females (AOR = 1.461; 95% CI: 1.047-2.037; p=.026) had greater odds of engaging in out-of-home food consumption. The study found that households with a secondary school education (AOR=0.442; 95% CI: 0.295-0.663; p<.001), those with a vocational training school education (AOR=0.135; 95% CI: 0.079-0.231; p<.001), and rural dwellers (AOR=0.140; 95% CI: 0.308-0.547; p<.001) had lower odds of engaging in out-of-home food consumption.Conclusion
The study findings demonstrate that demographic and socioeconomic factors significantly influence households' engagement in out-of-home food consumption. It highlights the need for targeted nutrition education, public health interventions, and food policies aimed at promoting healthier out-of-home food choices and improving food safety standards, particularly among urban and highly educated populations.
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BibTeX
@article{boakye2026demographic,
title = {{Demographic and socioeconomic determinants influencing households' engagement in out-of-home food consumption in the Western region of Ghana.}},
author = {Anthony Edward Boakye and Addae Boateng Adu-Gyamfi},
journal = {BMC public health},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1186/s12889-026-28675-5},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42894182},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Demographic and socioeconomic determinants influencing households' engagement in out-of-home food consumption in the Western region of Ghana.
AU - Anthony Edward Boakye
AU - Addae Boateng Adu-Gyamfi
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/01
JO - BMC public health
DO - 10.1186/s12889-026-28675-5
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42894182
AB - Background Evidence indicates that foods consumed outside the home are often more energy-dense and less nutrient-rich than home-prepared meals, contributing to poorer dietary quality and increased risks of overweight, obesity, and other diet-related non-communicable diseases.Objective Therefore, the study sought to examine the extent to which demographic and socioeconomic determinants influence households' engagement in out-of-home food consumption in the Western region of Ghana.Methods The study employed a cross-sectional descriptive design and applied a four multistage sampling technique to select 1,200 household heads from eight communities across four districts in the Western region. The study was conducted from 5 June 2025 to 4 June 2026. Data were gathered using a structured questionnaire developed to measure the variables of interest. The data were analyzed using frequency distributions, Pearson's chi-square test, and binary logistic regression in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 27, with the level of statistical significance set at 0.05.Results The study found that the majority of households (54.5%) had engaged in out-of-home food consumption, while 45.5% did not. The study found that households with a tertiary school education (AOR = 1.543; 95% CI: 1.014-2.347; p=.043), and females (AOR = 1.461; 95% CI: 1.047-2.037; p=.026) had greater odds of engaging in out-of-home food consumption. The study found that households with a secondary school education (AOR=0.442; 95% CI: 0.295-0.663; p<.001), those with a vocational training school education (AOR=0.135; 95% CI: 0.079-0.231; p<.001), and rural dwellers (AOR=0.140; 95% CI: 0.308-0.547; p<.001) had lower odds of engaging in out-of-home food consumption.Conclusion The study findings demonstrate that demographic and socioeconomic factors significantly influence households' engagement in out-of-home food consumption. It highlights the need for targeted nutrition education, public health interventions, and food policies aimed at promoting healthier out-of-home food choices and improving food safety standards, particularly among urban and highly educated populations.
SN - 1471-2458
ER -