DETERMINANTS OF GENDER DIFFERENCES IN DIETARY BEHAVIOR

Population-based food and nutrition studies consistently demonstrate t hat women are significantly more likely than men to comply with dietar y guideline recommendations. To date however, the precise reasons for this difference are not clear. This paper examines this issue using da ta collected from a representative sample of men and women (n=330) liv ing in Brisbane City (Australia). A general linear modelling analysis shows that women's greater compliance with dietary guideline food beha viors is due in part to their greater liking for the taste of healthy foods, they were more likely to believe that dietary guideline food wa s better for their health, and they were more knowledgeable about food and nutrition. Women were also more likely to report a heightened con cern about their physical and personal appearance, although this facto r made no independent contribution to dietary guideline compliance. Th e model developed in this study explained approximately 30 percent of the variation in food behavior. At the study's completion, men and wom en still differed significantly in their food behaviors, indicating th at other important explanatory factors remain to be identified. (C) 19 97 Elsevier Science Inc.