Disparities in Nutritional Adequacy of Diets between Different Socioeconomic Groups of Finnish Adults

Abstract

Information on dietary adequacy is needed to assess food and nutrition security in a modern society, especially in the transition towards climate-friendly food systems. In this study, differences in the nutritional adequacy of diets among Finnish adults were evaluated in population groups of different education, income and urbanisation levels. The study used data from the FinDiet 2017 Survey (n = 1655, 18–74 years). Modelled usual intakes of foods and nutrients were evaluated relative to food-based dietary guidelines issued by the National Nutrition Council of Finland (FNNC) and with respect to nutrient adequacy following the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations and FNNC. For about half of the nutrients studied, intakes were found to be adequate. Intakes of protein, fat, saturated fatty acids and salt were estimated to be high. By contrast, inadequate intakes were seen in folate and vitamins A, D, B1, B2 and C in almost all groups studied. Groups with a higher education and income, groups that lived in urban areas and, in particular, women adhered more closely to recommended food consumption and nutrient intakes than others. However, major challenges posed by the Finnish diet are common to all groups studied, and only certain dietary features evaluated in view of nutritional adequacy are associated with socioeconomic differences.

Associations of childhood and adult socioeconomic circumstances with recommended food habits among young and midlife Finnish employees

“…Additionally, the inverse associations of housing tenure and household wealth with recommended red or processed meat consumption may suggest that individuals with greater wealth can afford to buy a variety of expensive meat products. However, other socioeconomic measures such as occupational class and parental and participant’s own education showed positive associations with recommended red or processed meat consumption, which is in line with a recent study on Finnish adults [ 12 ].…”

“…Furthermore, reduced fibre and micronutrient intake, such as iron, vitamin C, and vitamin D, have been observed among individuals with disadvantaged SEC [ 5 , 7 ]. However, there are some unhealthy foods, such as cheese, candies, and pastries, that are consumed more commonly among individuals with advantaged SEC [ 2 , 7 , 11 , 12 ]. Although women’s food habits are known to be healthier than men’s in general, no clear gender differences in the direction and magnitude of socioeconomic differences in food habits have been found [ 4 , 10 ].…”

Relationship between Income and Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic in China

“…Income has a crucial impact on people’s living conditions. Therefore, it has been widely studied, with researchers exploring its impact on dietary nutrition and aspects such as vaccinations, renewable energy, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, physical activity, and household water consumption [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ]. It is clear that income affects people’s lives and physical health; however, its impact on mental health has rarely been systematically analyzed.…”

Evaluation of rural-urban patterns in dietary intake: A descriptive analytical study – Case series

“…countries, monitoring of dietary habits using an objective method has been conducted for decades [ 10 ]. Unlike in our context, few studies have used objective methods to assess nutrition, especially in urban and rural settings [ [11] , [12] , [13] , [14] , [15] ].…”