Food Security and Health Risk Behaviours in Selected African Countries During the First COVID-19 Lockdown

This research aimed at evaluating food security in three African populations during the COVID-19 pandemic and assess the health risk associated with their lifestyle during the lockdown. An online questionnaire was used for this cross-sectional survey. Three African countries were selected – Cameroon, Nigeria and South Africa. The questionnaire link was circulated electronically in the three countries via WhatsApp and emails using random and snowball sampling method. No glaring food security problem was observed in the surveyed population (818 respondents) which was mostly highly educated with stable monthly incomes, although Cameroon reported a higher number of respondents with monthly income <300USD. Generally, the food frequency results showed that cooked vegetables, fruits and teas appeared as consumed frequently in South Africa but not Cameroon and Nigeria. In Nigeria, starchy meals such as white rice and yam were more consumed. A low consumption rate of processed/unhealthy foods and drinks was noticed in all 3 countries during this period. South Africa appeared as the country presenting the highest risk of NCDs resurgence due to physical inactivity, alcohol and tobacco consumption related to COVID-19 lockdown. Consumption of healthy diets should be encouraged and promoted by the relevant authorities during this pandemic, food security being a key target.