Food availability for Kuwaiti and non‐Kuwaiti households

A sample of 1,134 Kuwaiti (K) and 1,444 non‐Kuwaiti (NK) households in Kuwait was chosen at random to obtain information on food and nutrient availability in the household deduced from food purchases during one week. The data were studied according to income and taking into account households composition. Food available among NK was higher than in K households but was, on the average, abundant among the most privileged and adequate among the poor in both groups with respect to energy and protein. Nevertheless, K households which had a larger number, spent, on the average, a higher proportion of their income to buy food than NK families. Kuwaiti households purchased more cereals, sugars and sweets and fish than NK households. With increased income, purchases of most food groups, especially of protein‐rich products, increased in both groups, but in K households cereal purchases declined.

In spite of adequate dietary availability, low income families in both groups had poor diets, especially with respect to the provision of thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin A and calcium.

Key words:

• Kuwait
• food availability
• food purchases
• income and food
• nutritional quality

Notes

Present address is ATKEmix Inc., P.O. Box 1085, Brantford, Ontario, N3T 5T2.