Research project
Food choices and Body Mass Index (BMI) in adults and children
This study explored the relationship between food choices and BMI in adults and children in South Africa, using both secondary data and fieldwork. It looked at what people consumed in Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain, what shaped their food choices, and how those choices related to health perceptions and actual BMI.
Project Timeline:
2015–2016
Research Team:
Prof Mulugeta F. Dinbabo, Dr Abdulrazak Karriem, Dr Sharon Penderis, Prof Julian May, Prof Christopher Fulcher, and several postgraduate students.
Project focus
This study explored the relationship between food choices and BMI in adults and children in South Africa, using both secondary data and fieldwork. It looked at what people consumed in Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain, what shaped their food choices, and how those choices related to health perceptions and actual BMI.
Key factors identified
Income, food cost, accessibility, availability, culture, taste, familiarity, knowledge, social setting, time constraints, religion, and travel distance to buy food.