Differences in diet quality and socioeconomic patterning of diet quality across ethnic groups: cross-sectional data from the HELIUS Dietary Patterns study

Abstract

Background/objectives Socioeconomic inequalities in diet quality are consistently reported, but few studies have investigated whether and how such inequalities vary across ethnic groups. This study aimed to examine differences in diet quality and socioeconomic patterning of diet quality across ethnic groups. Subjects/methods Cross-sectional data from the HELIUS study were used. Dutch, South-Asian Surinamese, African Surinamese, Ghanaian, Turkish and Moroccan adults (aged 18-70 years) were randomly sampled, stratified by ethnicity. Dietary intake was estimated among a subsample (n = 4602) from 200-item, ethnic-specific food frequency questionnaires, and diet quality was assessed using the Dutch Healthy Diet Index 2015 (DHD15-Index). Wald tests were used to compare non-Dutch and Dutch participants. Adjusted linear regression models were used to examine differences in DHD15-Index by three indicators of socioeconomic position: educational level, occupational status and perceived financial difficulties. All analyses were stratified by sex. Results Dutch participants had lower median DHD15-Index than most ethnic minority participants (P < 0.001). Lower educational level was associated with lower DHD15-Index among Dutch men (P trend < 0.0001), South-Asian Surinamese men (P trend = 0.01), Dutch women (P trend = 0.0001), African Surinamese women (P trend = 0.002) and Moroccan women (P trend = 0.04). Lower occupational status was associated with lower DHD15-Index in Dutch men, β −7.8 (95% CI −11.7, −3.9) and all women (β −4.4 to −8.8), except Turkish women. DHD15-Index was not associated with perceived financial difficulties in most groups. Conclusions We observed variations in diet quality across ethnic groups. Low socioeconomic position was not consistently associated with poor diet quality in all ethnic groups. This may be due to ethnicity-specific retention of traditional diets, irrespective of socioeconomic position.

Household Engagement in Both Aquaculture and Horticulture Is Associated with Higher Diet Quality than Either Alone

“…Similar reasoning may apply to households with a self-employed household member compared to a day wage laborer or someone without a wage income. These results concur with those from studies showing that the employment status and educational level of the adult household members are associated with a greater demand for diversified diets [65,66].…”

Diet Quality According to Mental Status and Associated Factors during Adulthood in Spain

“…Here, it was found that the probability of having a poor or moderate diet quality was greater in adults with CMD with a lower educational level compared with those without CMD with higher education. This is not the first time that a higher educational level has been associated with good dietary habits [97][98][99], although some studies have failed to find any association [100] or even found an inverse link [101,102], probably due to people with a higher educational level having access to better knowledge about food [103,104]. In addition, some studies have shown that a favorable attitude towards a healthy diet was associated with a higher educational level [105][106][107].…”

Diet Quality among Women with Previous Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in Rural Areas of Hunan Province

“…Previous studies show that children in rural and ethnic minority areas in central and western China have lower dietary diversity scores than those of their peers in other areas [ 62 , 63 ]. Investigators from the United States and Europe have also found that ethnic minority groups have poorer diet quality than those of ethnic majority groups [ 64 , 65 , 66 ]. Recent studies reveal ethnicity as an independent factor for diet quality [ 67 , 68 ].…”