OBJECTIVES: In Ghana, overweight prevalence among women in reproductive ages, between 15 and 49 years reached an all time high of 50% in 2022, increasing from 40% in 2014. This study explores the long-term trends in obesity and overweight in women in Ghana. It aims to aid understanding of what drives these trends, help to determine what the prevalence of obesity and overweight is likely to be in the future in Ghana and to inform policy makers and public health surveillance

METHODS: We use data from the Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) containing information on women aged 15 to 49 years in Ghana, collected between 2003 and 2022 providing us with data on cohorts born between 1953 and 2007.

RESULTS: The prevalence of obesity and overweight increased during the study period. Overall, the prevalence of obesity and overweight increase with age, in all cohorts. In the APC analysis, the prevalence of obesity increases with age until the age of 40 years before levelling out. After accounting for age and birth-cohort, the prevalence of obesity and overweight increases over time between 2003 and 2014, after which the effect levels out and appears to stabilise. We find no effect of birth cohort on the prevalence of obesity or overweight.

CONCLUSIONS: The increase in the prevalence of obesity and overweight in Ghana, appears to be stabilising. However, the increased prevalence of obesity with age, suggests that an ageing population could mean that the prevalence will increase in the future due to the relationship between age and prevalence.