Food consumption patterns in the urban milieu of Bamako

Food consumption patterns in urban environments are changing and diversifying. This longitudinal study of individual food consumption took into account the coexistence of two types of food consumption: within the home and outside the home. This article presents a summary of qualitative and quantitative research carried out in Bamako, Mali in 1995 and 1996 among 74 families from different socio-economic groups. It provides a comprehensive analysis of their food strategies (at the family and individual level) and their nutritional intake. In the home, similarities are found: three meals a day, and a single dish with a "base" ingredient and sauce at each meal. Heterogeneity is expressed in the number of dishes prepared each day, the type of "base", and ingredients in the sauce. Almost all individuals, no matter what their age or socio-economic status, consume food outside the home. This does not substitute meals at home. Street food accounts for 19-27% of food expenses and provides 134-417 Kcal per day per person. It offers a market for local products not often consumed at home and provides a necessary nutritional supplement to people from families of intermediate or low socio-economic status, especially for children. For people from higher socio-economic levels, street food provides mainly gustative and symbolic satisfaction. Following the devaluation of the CFA franc, the most disadvantaged populations seem to have reached a limit in their capacity for adaptation, which includes not only the quality of consumed products but also quantities. In order to ensure food security in urban areas, food and nutritional policies must take into account all the factors that influence food consumption behaviours of different groups of individuals, in particular the behaviours inside and outside the home. The latter is too often overshadowed.     

Food consumption trends and nutrition transition in Korea

This review article aims to provide an overview of food consumption trends in relation to the nutritional status of Koreans. Food consumption patterns and nutritional status of Koreans have changed substantially due to economic improvements and the adoption of a western lifestyle. The traditional habit of consuming vegetable foods like cereals, soybeans and potatoes has seen a decline, while consumption of meat, poultry, egg and fruits has increased. Although the proportion of animal foods has increased from 3.0% in 1969 to 19.2% in 1998, the Korean diet is still not sufficient in milk and eggs. The total energy intake has gradually decreased with reduced consumption of cereals, and concomitantly carbohydrates intake has decreased. Fat intake has increased with elevated consumption of animal foods and added fats and oils, but the level of fat intake remains low with a high consumption of vegetables and increased fruit consumption. This food consumption pattern might have contributed to the ideal proportion of energy from carbohydrates, protein and fat at 66%, 15% and 19% respectively in 1998, which is almost close to the composition of 65%, 15%, and 20% that most nutritionists would term as an ideal ratio. It would appear that the Korean food consumption trend is ideal except for the consumption of salty foods which is high.     

Food consumption patterns in the 1960s in seven countries

At the end of the 1950s the Seven Countries Study was designed to investigate the relations between diet and cardiovascular diseases. Sixteen cohorts were selected in Finland, Greece, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, United States, and Yugoslavia. During the 1960s food consumption data were collected from random samples of these cohorts by use of the record method. In Finland the intake of milk, potatoes, edible fats, and sugar products was very high. A similar but lower intake pattern was observed in The Netherlands. Fruit, meat, and pastry consumption was high in the United States; cereal and alcoholic drink consumption was high in Italy; and bread consumption high in Yugoslavians except for those in Belgrade. In Greece the intake of olive oil and fruit was high and the Japanese cohorts were characterized by a high consumption of fish, rice, and soy products. These differences in food consumption patterns have lessened during the past 25 y.     

Food consumption patterns in a Palestinian West Bank population

OBJECTIVE: To describe the food consumption patterns in relation to wealth status and age groups in a Palestinian West Bank village population. DESIGN: Community-based cross-sectional survey of both households and individuals. A list recall method was used at the household level. At the individual level, a short food-frequency questionnaire was used in addition to a 24-h recall without estimates of portion sizes. SETTING: A Palestinian semi-rural village in the central West Bank. SUBJECTS: All households and all men and women aged 30-65 y in the study village were invited. All 368 households and 85% (n=500) of eligible individuals participated. RESULTS: The mean energy consumption from 25 selected food items on household level was about 13.8 MJ (3300 kcal)/consumption unit/d (a consumption unit corresponds to the expected energy requirement for an adult male). The proportion of dietary energy from fat and the consumption of most animal products was highest among the wealthiest households, and the opposite trend was seen for the consumption of wheat flour and lentils. There seems to be an ongoing trend of increasing consumption of processed products rich in sugar among the younger age groups. CONCLUSION: Shortage of dietary energy on the household level did not seem to be a problem in this population, even among the poorest. Differences in food consumption patterns between the poor and the wealthy, including a higher percentage of energy from fat among the wealthy, may be to the disadvantage of the wealthy with respect to some diet-related chronic diseases. SPONSORSHIP: The Norwegian Universities' Committee for Development Research (NUFU).     

Food consumption patterns of elementary schoolchildren in New York City

OBJECTIVE: To examine food consumption patterns and related characteristics of schoolchildren. DESIGN: A representative survey involving a household questionnaire and child interview to conduct a nonquantitative 24-hour dietary recall. Indexes were developed to score the diets based on the Food Guide Pyramid and 5 A Day for Better Health recommendations. SUBJECTS/SETTING :Six hundred ninety-three 2nd-grade students and 704 5th-grade students from public and private schools in New York City. STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED: Weighted means and gender-adjusted analysis of covariance models were used to account for a complex survey design in calculating variance estimates. RESULTS: Compared with a maximum of 50, the mean Food Guide Pyramid index score was 29.2 for 2nd-grade students and 30.4 for 5th-grade students. The mean 5 A Day consumption score was 3.4 and 3.6 servings of fruits and vegetables daily for 2nd and 5th graders, respectively. Measures of food consumption were significantly related to socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, skipping meals, and participating in school lunch for both grades, and with meal preparation for 5th graders. APPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS: The Food Guide Pyramid and 5 A Day recommendations provide guidelines for food selection beginning in childhood. Knowledge and skills training are needed to improve food consumption patterns as children consume foods away from home and as they take on greater responsibility for meal preparation and food selection.     

Food consumption patterns in Italy: the INN-CA Study 1994-1996

OBJECTIVES: The present study was aimed at surveying the Italian food consumption patterns in the 90s. It represented the second nationwide food intake survey that was carried out by the Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca per gli Alimenti e la Nutrizione (INRAN). DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Free-living households. SUBJECTS: Sampled subjects: 1147 households randomly selected to be representative of the four main geographical areas (North-West, North-East, Centre, South). Analysed subjects: 1978 individuals out of 2734 initially collected in 15 Collaborative Centres strategically scattered through the national territory. METHODS: A mixed 7-day based survey technique was applied in order to survey both individual and household consumption. At individual level, food intake was recorded by a self-compiled diary. At household level food data collection was by compilation of a food inventory by the dietician, a purchased/wasted foods diary and a recipes form both compiled by the person responsible for food related activities (decision of purchase, purchase, preparation of meals) in the household. All recorded data were monitored by the dieticians who visited the households participating in the study, at least three times. Household members were interviewed in order to collect socio-demographic, lifestyle and motivational information. Furthermore, field-workers performed the food coding and the input of data by an ad hoc developed software. The survey design allowed an internal quantitative check of food data. Several check steps were centrally performed RESULTS: The complex methodology caused the 46.8% response rate and afterwards a reduction of the analysed units (72% of the surveyed individuals). However, the analysed sample provided sufficiently reliable data for outlining the most relevant aspects of dietary patterns in Italy. In order to better interpret the results, controversial aspects are also illustrated and discussed in the text. The disparity analysis found that traditional diversities among Italian regions are still alive. In general, males eat more than females. Analysis according to the age class (children: 1-9 years old; adolescents: 10-17; adults: 18-64; elderly: >64) showed differences especially between the group of children vs all the others, but also in the two groups of young individuals vs adults and the elderly, that could represent clues of an incorrect way of eating. CONCLUSIONS: Taking into account the different methodology, the comparison with previous results showed changes in the Italian average diet complying with an increasing attention to healthy aspects by large sectors of the population, but also opposite tendencies that should be carefully monitored. SPONSORSHIP: Minister delle Politiche Agricole e Forestali (Mi.P.A.F.).     

Food intake and food consumption patterns of hospital workers in the dominican republic

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death according to official mortality statistics in the Dominican Republic. The purpose of this study was to assess food intake and food consumption patterns of Dominicans and to discuss CHD risks related to nutrient intake. The subjects were 22 men and 81 women voluntarily recruited among 230 hospital workers in Santo Domingo. The mean nutrient intake and food consumption were estimated from a single 24-hour recall method administered by trained persons who elicited each subject’s previous day’s intake from midnight to midnight. The mean energy intake was 2030 kcal. The mean intake of total protein, total fat and carbohydrates were 66.3g, 89.1 g and 248g, respectively. Percentage of energy from total fat was 39.5%, which was higher than WHO recommendations. But, the percentage of animal fat per total fat was 46.8%. Especially, the value in the low income group was 31.7%. Moreover, we analyzed the food consumption structure in order to understand the Dominican dietary pattern, and three factors were found to explain the characteristics on the basis of factor analysis. The low percentage of animal fat was due to the diets rich in vegetable oil. Our results suggested that it was difficult to assume that CHD risks increased as a result of the Dominican dietary pattern. This was consistent with our previous findings that the average serum cholesterol level of Dominicans was generally low.     

The nutrition transition in Jordan: the political, economic and food consumption contexts

This paper describes and analyzes the nutrition transition in Jordan. The nutrition transition is shifting from undernutrition of a population to a diet high in fat, sugar, and refined carbohydrates (overnutrition) and corresponding premature morbidity and mortality from ensuing chronic diseases. The paper reviews and examines secondary data on demographic, epidemiological, economic, social, and dietary changes in the region. Jordan is moving through the nutrition transition at a rapid pace. Demographic, epidemiological, economic, and social changes have been accompanied by changes in diet, food expenditure, and general health. Although mortality rates have dropped significantly, fertility rates still remain high at 3.6 children per woman, especially compared to other countries in the region. Urbanization has increased rapidly from 46% of the population residing in urban areas in 1965 to 75% currently. Declines in real per capita income have created a state in which 27% of families live under the poverty line. Dietary changes in the region, due in part to changes in food availability over the last 40 years, include a general rise in caloric intake (from 2,165 Kcals in 1965 to 3,161 Kcals in 1997) with an increasing percentage of energy supply coming from fats and cereals. Undernutrition and chronic rates of malnutrition are low compared to other developing countries; however, various sources reveal that overweight and obesity are on the rise. Obesity in Jordan tends to be higher among women (16%) than among men (10%), with a much higher prevalence of obesity among uneducated women (50%). In conclusion, overweight and obesity are an emerging problem in Jordan, especially for women. There is a high prevalence of risk factors associated with diet-related non-communicable diseases among both men and women.     

Diet, health and the nutrition transition: some impacts of economic and socio-economic factors on food consumption patterns in the Kingdom of Tonga

An essential element of the "health transition" is the emergence of disease patterns associated with changes in dietary regimes. The consumption of nutritionally poor (imported) foods in the Pacific is associated with increasing rates of diet related non-communicable diseases (NCDs). An oft-made assumption is that changes in consumption patterns are related to food preference (specifically preferences for high fat and/or dense carbohydrate foods). Recent work in the Kingdom of Tonga suggests that the "common-sense" association between food preference and food consumption is incorrect. The results of a large survey (n=430) indicate availability is the key factor in consumption, and that food preference, knowledge of the nutritional values of foods, and frequency of consumption are not correlated. Further analysis shows there are significant differences in consumption patterns between persons of higher and lower socio-economic status; perception of availability and frequency of consumption are a function of economic and social position--specifically access to cash. These results underline the salience of economic factors; the rise in NCDs is correlated with the increasing importance of the cash economy (not cultural values or ignorance of nutritional issues). In the absence of economic solutions, current consumption patterns will continue.     

Food scarcity, not economic constraint limits consumption in a rural Aboriginal community

Objective: To determine whether food scarcity or economic constraint is more strongly associated with purchasing patterns in a rural Aboriginal community. Design: Store receipts were collected to determine money spent in the community shop across a four‐month period from January to April 2006. Variability in expenditures is then studied using measures of food scarcity (days since shop loading) and economic constraint (days since payday). Setting: Parnngurr Outstation in the Western Desert of Australia. Main outcome measures: Daily gross and per‐household gross expenditures at the community shop. Results: There is a significant association between food scarcity and money spent in the shop (?42.89, confidence interval ?62.62 to ?23.18, P < 0.001). There is no association between economic constraint and money spent in the shop. Conclusion: In rural and remote communities, reliable access to food is critical to food security. Circumstantial constraints such as seasonal flooding and political insecurity can augment food access problems and put Aboriginal people at risk of malnutrition and other dietary harms.     

Food consumption and feeding patterns of Czech infants and toddlers living in Prague

OBJECTIVE: To describe feeding patterns during first two years of life and their relation to sociodemographic factors. DESIGN: Longitudinal study. SETTING: Prague, Czech Republic. SUBJECTS: Ninety-seven full-term healthy singletons enrolled at maternity ward, of which 90.7% completed the study. METHODS: Diet was assessed at 9, 12 and 24 months of age using a structured 3-day dietary record. Additional information was obtained from questionnaires completed at birth and at 6 months. RESULTS: The median duration of exclusive breastfeeding was 5 months, and that of total breastfeeding 9 months. Breastfeeding rate 47.4% at 9 months declined to 4.5% at 24 months. Total duration of breastfeeding was positively associated with maternal education and marital status but not with maternal age, gender or birth order. Breastfeeding frequency at 9, 12 and 24 months was 4.8, 4 and 3.7, respectively. The complementary food feeding frequency increased significantly with age (4.5, 4.7 and 5.9 times per day, respectively). All children at any age point consumed fruits, cereal and milk products. The proportion of children consuming meat and vegetables had increased with age but between ages 9 and 24 months, at least 23-38% children did not consume vegetables daily and 28-40% did not consume foods from meat/fish/poultry/eggs group daily. The proportion of children consuming milk and foods associated with the early complementary feeding period had fallen with age while the consumption of cereal foods other than porridge had increased. Values of indicators of adequate complementary feeding practices tentatively suggested in the context of WHO expert consultation had closely reflected breastfeeding rates. CONCLUSIONS: Breastfeeding duration is shorter than WHO recommends. It is influenced by maternal education and marital status. Compliance with complementary feeding recommendations is relatively good. Continued promotion of healthy infant and young child feeding practices is needed. Indicators evaluating complementary feeding practices should assess breastfeeding separately from other aspects. SPONSORSHIP: Ministry of Health, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles' University of Prague.     

Patterns of food consumption in Vietnam: effects on socioeconomic groups during an era of economic growth

OBJECTIVE: To identify if the nutritional status and improvements in Vietnam during the 1990s applied equally to the key vulnerable population groups (poor, rural, and ethnic minority) as it did to the nonpoor-largely in the urban areas. DESIGN: This study used cross-sectional analyses in the context of inequalities occurring in the diets of the poor and nonpoor that accompanied economic improvements during the Vietnam Doi Moi period. SETTING: During the Doi Moi period in Vietnam. SUBJECTS: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted on data using 23,839 individuals (4800 households) from the Vietnam Living Standard Survey (VLSS) in 1992-1993 and 28,509 individuals (6,002 households) from the Vietnam Living Standard Survey in 1997-1998. Analysis for changes in food consumption was conducted on 17,763 individuals (4,305 households) that were included in both surveys. INTERVENTION: None. RESULTS: After initiation of Doi Moi in 1986, the average Vietnamese person reached the dietary adequacy of 2,100 kcal per day per capita in the early 1990s, but this did not improve during the next decade. The structure of diet shifted to less starchy staples while proteins and lipids (meat, fish, other protein-rich higher fat foods) increased significantly. Although the gap in nutrient intake between the poor and the nonpoor decreased, the proportion of calories from protein- and lipid-rich food for the poor is lower than for the nonpoor. The VLSS data showed that the increase of protein and lipid foods in total energy structure over the 5 y between the VLSS studies for poor households was 0.43% (CI=0.33, 0.53) and 0.47% (CI=0.41, 0.54) lower, respectively, than for nonpoor households (P<0.0001). Inequalities compared to the nonpoor were also found in both quantity and quality of food consumption. For example, poor households consumed (quantity) 127 kcal/day (CI=119, 135) less from meat, and 32 kcal/day (CI=27, 38) less from fats than nonpoor households (P<0.0001), and the proportion of calories consumed (quality) by poor households was 5.8% (CI=5.4, 6.1) less from meat and 0.96% (CI=1.2, 0.7) less from fats than by nonpoor households (P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Although the key vulnerable groups-rural, poor, and minority populations-showed improvements in diet, there still remains an inequity between these groups and the nonpoor of the population. In particular, the vulnerable groups consumed less of their daily consumption from the desirable high-quality proteins of animal foods and fats, and more from cereals and other starches-lagging the better-off populations in desired composition.     

Vietnam during economic transition: a tracer study of health service access and affordability.

For many decades, Vietnam had a well-structured public health service with extensive population coverage, with free care at government health facilities until 1989. Since then the country has been going through economic transition, including major changes to the health system. These include the reduction of financial support to public facilities and the introduction of user charges. Concern has been growing about the effect of these changes on access and affordability of health care, particularly for poor families. Using data from the Vietnam National Health Survey conducted in 2001-2002, the authors conducted a tracer study of people with diarrheal illness to examine equity in access to and use of health care and the financial burdens placed on patients in seeking care. The study found that children, the elderly, and the poorly educated were more likely to suffer from diarrhea; poor people often did not seek any care regardless of severity of illness, largely because they could not afford it. The opportunity cost due to lost income was also much greater for poor families. Several new policies have been developed in Vietnam to improve access to basic health care for the poor. However, the effects of such policies require close monitoring and remain to be evaluated.     

Food consumption patterns of Canadian preschool children in relation to zinc and growth status

Hair and serum zinc and copper, growth percentiles, and dietary intakes, based on 3-day weighed food records, were determined for 106 Canadian preschool children (62 M, 44 F) aged 4-5 yr. Mean (+/- SD) hair zinc levels were (M) 103 +/- 35 micrograms/g vs (F) 129 +/- 34 micrograms/g, p less than 0.001, and median hair copper level was 12.4 micrograms/g (M + F). Mean serum zinc and copper were 111 +/- 13 micrograms/dL (M + F) and 122 +/- 21 micrograms/dL (M + F), respectively. Males with low hair zinc (less than 70 micrograms/g) had a lower mean height-for-age percentile (42 +/- 29 vs 58 +/- 25%, p less than 0.05), even when adjusted for midparent height. Males with hair zinc less than 70 micrograms/g and/or height-for-age less than 15% consumed less meat, poultry, and fish and received similar average zinc intakes but higher calcium intakes than males with hair zinc greater than or equal to 70 micrograms/g and/or height-for-age greater than or equal to 15%. Suboptimal zinc nutriture was associated with lower intakes of readily available zinc from flesh foods and higher intakes of calcium.     

Food and nutrient consumption patterns in third trimester Thai-Muslim pregnant women in rural southern Thailand

The aims of this study were to determine food and nutrient intakes and the socio-economic factors influencing food and nutrient intakes of rural Thai-Muslim women in the third trimester of pregnancy. The study was conducted in Pattani province, Thailand, where 166 women were interviewed between 32 and 40 weeks gestation. A questionnaire, including a Food Frequency Questionnaire was used. Data on food items were compiled into the five basic Thai food groups, and food intakes were computed into macro and micro- nutrients. Mean weight intake of each of the five groups was below the recommended level for pregnant Thai women. Mean intake of niacin, vitamin A (RE) and vitamin C were above the recommended Thai level. Thiamin, calcium, phosphorus and iron intakes were lower than 50% of recommended levels. Intakes of the five food groups were not associated with socio-economic status, although total non-haem iron intake was associated with level of education. Under-consumption of food and nutrients among pregnant women in the study area was due to poor education, poverty and food availability. Integrated strategies should be considered to promote increased intakes to meet nutrient recommendations.     

Food consumption and buying patterns of students from a Philippine university fastfood mall

A consumer survey was conducted in a university fastfood mall to determine the food consumption and buying patterns of Philippine university students. The survey established that a typical fastfood consumer in the test university foodmall is female between 16 and 22 years old, with a purchasing capability of < or = US$1.79 for a complete meal, and who generally frequents the mall only once a day during weekdays. Wholesomeness, affordability and variety of the foods were the general basis for satisfaction of the typical student consumer.