ABSTRACT

 Food habits and other lifestyle practices are important determinants of health across all ages. The study assessed the food habits, other lifestyle and anthropometric status of women traders in Nkwo Orodo market, Imo State. A total of 399 women were selected using simple random sampling technique. A well-structured questionnaire was used to determine their personal information and socio-economic status, food habits, other lifestyles, 24 hours dietary recall, food frequency. Their anthropometric status were evaluated using BMI and Waist Hip ratio. Data gathered were analyzed using IBM SPSS statistic version 20. Results revealed that apart from trading, they have other sources of income such as (5 1.4%) farming, (20.8%) civil service, (8.3%) pensioner, (17.0%) artisans, (2.5%) others (decoration and baking). More than half (51.1%) of the women traders prepared food themselves, 19.8% bought cooked food, 3.0% relied on their spouses. On frequency of meal consumption, 18.8% ate once, 37.1% ate twice while 28.1% ate three times. Meal skipping was observed in most (72.2%) and 27.8% did not. The affected women mainly skipped either breakfast (27.1%), or lunch (25.5%), dinner (13. 3%). Some (26.1%) of the women suffered from health conditions like hypertension, diabetes (17.5%), obesity (4.5), heart problem (2.3%) and dental problem (7.8%). Some of the women engaged in a daily walk-out distance of less than 1km (50.1%), 1km (25.8%), 2km (10.8%), 3km (2.3%) or none (11.0%). The predominant recreational activity engaged in by the women traders were playing whot (31.3%) and jogging (18.5%). These activities were done once (48.4%) or twice (20.8%) weekly. Result showed that few of the women (16.0%) smoked, while majority of them consumed alcohol (63.9%). BMI status revealed that more than half (5 8.4%) of the women had normal weight, few of them were either overweight (19.8%) or obese (8.3%), and a few (9.0%) of them were underweight. Waist-hip ratio (WHR) status revealed that there were less normal women traders (23.3%), than those at risk of disease (69.4%). 1-lowever, a strong significant and positive relationship existed between traders' food source, fruit consumption, confectionary consumption, physical activity and eating status. Therefore the study concludes that poor consumption patterns of the women traders were characterized by meal skipping and high prevalence of unhealthy snacking habits. Also, food habits and other lifestyle practices are important determinants of health and body mass index across all ages.