Modern and healthy?: socioeconomic differences in the quality of diet

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe how nutrient intake and food consumption varied according to education and household income in men and women. The second aim was to find out to what extent the goals of the national dietary guidelines were met in different socioeconomic groups.

Design: A random dietary survey using a 3 d estimated food record and a self-administered questionnaire.

Setting: Individuals from four different regions in Finland in spring 1992.

Subjects: 870 men and 991 women aged 25-64 y.

Main outcome measures: Food group and nutrient consumption, two saturated fat indices, educational level and household income.

Main results: Men with a higher educational level had a lower energy intake and women with a higher income a lower intake of carbohydrates. The intake of vitamin C and carotenoids increased with increasing socioeconomic status. Otherwise, no socioeconomic differences in energy intake, densities of fat and saturated fat, macronutrient or fibre were found. Higher socioeconomic groups consumed more cheese, vegetables, fruit and berries and candies and less milk, butter and bread.

Conclusions: Higher socioeconomic groups did not follow current national dietary guidelines better than lower socioeconomic groups. Higher socioeconomic groups consumed more of the modern recommended foods, such as vegetables and fruit and berries, but less traditional recommended foods, such as bread and potatoes.