The cost of diets according to diet quality and sociodemographic characteristics in children and adolescents in Belgium

Abstract

This study aims to estimate cost variations according to diet quality and sociodemographic characteristics in children. Data (n = 1,596; 5–17 y) from the Belgian National Food Consumption Survey were used. The “Kidmed index” and dietary patterns (DP) identified through principal component analysis were used to assess diet quality. Daily diet cost was estimated after linking the consumed foods with the GfK ConsumerScan panel food prices. The mean diet cost was 4.68€/day (SEM: 0.05). Adjusted for covariates and energy intake, the mean diet cost was 9.1% higher in the highest Kidmed adherence (vs. the lowest) and 6.2% higher in the tercile T3 (vs. T1) of the “Healthy” DP score. It was 4.8% lower in the T3 (vs. T1) for the “Junk food” DP score. Diet cost was higher in 12–17 year-olds (vs. 5–11 years) and in medium and high educated household (vs. the lowest). These findings support policies to make healthy diets more affordable.

Keywords:

• Diet cost
• food price
• diet quality
• social inequalities
• Kidmed index
• principal component analysis

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Michelle Seck for her contribution to the food prices data cleaning and Emma Holmberg for the editing.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The study was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects (Declaration of Helsinki) and was approved by the Ethical Committee of the University of Ghent (Reference: 2013/1025) (Belgian Registration number: B670201319129). Written informed consent to participate in the study was obtained from all participants. The manuscript does not contain clinical studies or patient data.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Data availability statement

The datasets generated and analysed in this study are not available to the public, due to the law on the protection of privacy regarding to the processing of personal data. Therefore, these data can only be made available to third parties under certain conditions.

Additional information

Funding

The 2014 Belgian national food consumption survey was the result of a collaboration between the Sciensano (formerly Scientific Institute of Public Health), the Federal Public Service of Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment, and the European Food Safety Authority. The food price data were purchased thanks to a research credit granted by the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique (FNRS) [Grant n°J.0017.19].