Diet Variety is Associated With Socio-economic Factors

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between diet variety and socio-economic factors. The analysis included a 24-h recall and measures of socio-economic status from 6545 Koreans aged ≥ 19. Three variety measures (VM), including two diet variety scores were calculated. The more highly educated consumed a greater variety of foods than the less educated. Results suggest that VM increases faster among less educated when income increases. In summary, the diet variety of Koreans depends on their income, education, and area of residence. Among the less educated, diet variety depends more on income than it does among higher educated. Health implications of dietary variety consumed in Korea requires further attention.

KEYWORDS:

• diet variety
• socio-economic status
• regression
• Korea

Notes

¹Statistically significant (p < 0.001) at individual and at households.

²Education levels in household were those of household heads.

³Differences of distribution of subjects were tested by chi-square test

⁴Differences of average incomes by general characteristics were tested by ANOVA.

^aNumber of food items consumed counting repeated intakes.

^bNumber of food items consumed not counting repeated intakes.

∗< 0.05.

∗∗< 0.01.

∗∗∗< 0.001.

¹Log transformed value of household income.

²Dummy variable: Education = 1 for ≥ 12y, 0 = otherwise.

³Dummy variable: City = 1 for large and medium-small cities, 0 = otherwise.

^1aand ^1b The null hypotheses of equal varieties of the three income groups for each education level were rejected by ANOVA (p ≤ 0.0001).

²The null hypotheses of equal varieties of the three income groups were rejected by ANOVA (p < 0.0001).

³Variety measures are significantly dfferent between the two education level (< 12y and ≥ 12y) by t-test (p < 0.05).