MODERN AND HEALTHY - SOCIOECONOMIC DIFFERENCES IN THE QUALITY OF DIET

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe how nutrient inta ke and food consumption varied according to education and household in come in men and women. The second aim was to find out to what extent t he goals of the national dietary guidelines were met in different soci oeconomic groups. Design: A random dietary survey using a 3 d estimate d food record and a self-administered questionnaire. Setting: Individu als from four different regions in Finland in spring 1992. Subjects: 8 70 men and 991 women aged 2564 y. Main outcome measures: Food group an d nutrient consumption, two saturated fat indices, educational level a nd household income. Main results: Men with a higher educational level had a lower energy intake and women with a higher income a lower inta ke of carbohydrates. The intake of vitamin C and carotenoids increased with increasing socioeconomic status. Otherwise, no socioeconomic dif ferences in energy intake, densities of fat and saturated fat, macronu trient or fibre were found. Higher socioeconomic groups consumed more cheese, vegetables, fruit and berries and candies and less milk, butte r and bread. Conclusions: Higher socioeconomic groups did not follow c urrent national dietary guidelines better than lower socioeconomic gro ups. Higher socioeconomic groups consumed more of the modem recommende d foods, such as vegetables and fruit and berries, but less traditiona l recommended foots, such as bread and potatoes.