Reducing unhealthy diets and physical inactivity among sub-Saharan African youth
The non-communicable diseases (NCDs) epidemic, particularly prevalent in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), strains fragile health systems due to poor diets and sedentary lifestyles. Despite WHO's endorsed policies, implementation remains suboptimal, especially concerning adolescents. Adolescence is crucial for establishing NCD risk behaviors, yet effective interventions are lacking, particularly in LMICs. This project targets Ghana and Kenya, representing diverse cultural contexts, to address unhealthy diets and physical inactivity among adolescents. It aims to implement evidenced and theory-based interventions aligned with WHO recommendations.
Project aim is to reduce two important modifiable risk factors for NCDs
Our project therefore aims to reduce two important modifiable risk factors for NCDs: unhealthy diets and physical inactivity and their underlying social determinants among adolescents and youth (aged 10-19 years) living in various socio-economic urban communities in two SSA countries (Ghana & Kenya) by designing, deploying, and evaluating strategies for implementation of evidenced and theory based interventions mapped on to the WHO Best Buys. Together, this project will increase opportunities, awareness, knowledge and health literacy, motivate adolescents and youth to increase self-efficacy, guide self-regulatory actions and adopt positive health behaviour (such as dissuasion from physical inactivity and sedentary behaviours, or unhealthy food choices) to prevent NCDs.
Collaborating/partnering institutions and researchers are drawn from Europe and Africa
The Generation-H project's collaborating or partnering institutions and researchers are drawn from Europe and Africa. The European institutions are the Amsterdam UMC, Universiteit van Amsterdam in the Netherlands, IRD (French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development) in France, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Sciensano in Belgium and Loughborough University in the United Kingdom. The African institutions are the African Population and Health Research Centre in Kenya, the University of Ghana, the Ghana Health Service, the Christian Health Association of Ghana, and the Coalition of Actors for Public Health Advocacy, also in Ghana.
