Socioeconomic differences in fat intake in a middle-aged population: report from the Malmo Diet and Cancer Study

Background The objective was to investigate whether socioeconomic differenc es in fat intake may explain socioeconomic differences in cardiovascular di seases. Methods The Malmo Diet and Cancer Study is a prospective cohort study. The baseline examinations used in the present cross-sectional study were undert aken in 1992-1994. Dietary habits were assessed using a modified diet histo ry method consisting of a 7-day menu book and a 168-item questionnaire. A s ubpopulation of 11 837 individuals born 1926-1945 was investigated. This st udy examined high fat intake, defined as >35.9% among men and >34.8% among women (25% quartile limit) of the proportion of the non-alcohol energy inta ke contributed by fat. The subfractions saturated, mono-unsaturated and pol yunsaturated fatty acids and the P:S ratio (polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acids) were analysed in the same way. The uppermost quartile (75%) of tota l and subgroup fat intake was also studied. Socioeconomic differences befor e and after adjustment for low energy reporting (LER), defined as energy in take below 1.2 x Basal Metabolic Rate, were examined. Results No socioeconomic differences in fat intake were seen between the SE S groups, except for self-employed men, and male and female pensioners. App roximately 20% in most SES groups were LER. The LER and body mass index wer e strongly related. The SES pattern of fat intake remained unchanged after adjustment for age, country of origin and LER in a logistic regression mode l. The results for the subfractions of fat and the P:S ratio did not princi pally differ from the total fat results. Conclusions This study provides no evidence that fat intake contributes to the inverse socioeconomic differences in cardiovascular diseases.