Perceptions of the changing food environment and the right to adequate food for adolescent students in Kampala, Uganda

Abstract

Adequate nutrition is one of the most critical determinants for adolescents’ development and health. Food environments is an essential factor with substantial impact on dietary behaviour. How Kampalas’s adolescent students’ and food- and health authorities perceive these changes are poorly understood.

Objectives This study aimed to explore adolescents’ (rights holders) perceptions of food and dietary changes in light of the changing food environments, using a human rights perspective. Furthermore, the study aimed to explore the authorities’ (duty-bearers) perceptions of the changing dietary behaviour and their understanding of their responsibilities for improving adolescents’ food environment.

Method A human rights-based approach was applied when planning and conducting the study, and Qualitative Description was the chosen research approach. The data material is based on 44 adolescents from four urban and peri-urban schools with different socio-economic status, interviewed through eight focus group discussions. In addition, were five qualitative interviews conducted with food- and health authorities in Kampala, Uganda. The data material was collected in 2018.

Results The findings of this study indicate that changes in the food environments and food marketing, affect adolescents’ dietary behaviour. Western food was mainly perceived as prestigious. Reasons for purchasing fast food were availability, convenience, social pressure and acceptance. The duty-bearers worried about the noticeable upsurge in non-communicable diseases. The adolescents had an understanding of their human rights but were unfamiliar with the right to adequate food. Some duty-bearers knew their human right responsibility; others did not position themselves as duty-bearers.

Conclusion These findings indicate that changing food environments affect adolescents’ dietary behaviour. The changing food environments are likely to progress in Uganda, causing an increased upsurge in non-communicable diseases. Therefore, in efforts to constrain the development, there is a need for further research on adolescents’ food environments to ensure the health of adolescents.