Abstract
To identify factors influencing dietary behaviours in urban food environments in Africa and identify areas for future research. We systematically reviewed published/grey literature (protocol CRD4201706893). Findings were compiled into a map using a socio-ecological model on four environmental levels: individual, social, physical and macro. Urban food environments in Africa. Studies involving adolescents and adults (11-70 years, male/female). Thirty-nine studies were included (six adolescent, fifteen adolescent/adult combined and eighteen adult). Quantitative methods were most common (twenty-eight quantitative, nine qualitative and two mixed methods). Studies were from fifteen African countries. Seventy-seven factors influencing dietary behaviours were identified, with two-thirds at the individual level (45/77). Factors in the social (11/77), physical (12/77) and macro (9/77) environments were investigated less. Individual-level factors that specifically emerged for adolescents included self-esteem, body satisfaction, dieting, spoken language, school attendance, gender, body composition, pubertal development, BMI and fat mass. Studies involving adolescents investigated social environment-level factors more, for example, sharing food with friends. The physical food environment was more commonly explored in adults, for example, convenience/availability of food. Macro-level factors associated with dietary behaviours were food/drink advertising, religion and food prices. Factors associated with dietary behaviour were broadly similar for men and women. The dominance of studies exploring individual-level factors suggests a need for research to explore how social, physical and macro-level environments drive dietary behaviours of adolescents and adults in urban Africa. More studies are needed for adolescents and men, and studies widening the geographical scope to encompass all African countries.
Highlights
MethodsA systematic mapping review(9) was conducted to map existing literature regarding factors influencing dietary behaviours in urban Africa
Description of included studies Thirty-nine studies were included in the final data synthesis (Table 1), of which nineteen were conducted in lower middle-income countries(17): Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and Tunisia
Thirteen studies were conducted in upper middle-income countries: Botswana, Mauritius and South Africa, and one study was undertaken in the Seychelles
Summary
A systematic mapping review(9) was conducted to map existing literature regarding factors influencing dietary behaviours in urban Africa. Systematic mapping reviews are often conducted as a prelude to further research and are imperative in the identification of research gaps. Prior to conducting the review, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and MEDLINE were searched to ensure that no similar reviews were underway or had been conducted beyond the original mapping review(8). A review protocol was produced to ensure transparency in the review methodology and registered with the PROSPERO database of existing and on-going systematic reviews (registration number CRD4201706893). Criteria used in the original review were modified to acknowledge the additional population groups (adolescents and adult men)(8); otherwise, the same processes were applied to ensure compatibility
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