[Social inequities and food: an ecological study of the food sales of a supermarket chain].
With the aim of finding out the pattern of food consumption in different socioeconomic areas of the city of Valencia and examining if the sales data from the supermarkets make up an information source which is capable of detecting inequalities and revealing trends, the sales figures of a chain of supermarkets, referring to 10 food products during 1989 and 1990 were studied. Foods were considered as "healthier" (fruit, vegetables, skimmed milk, fresh fish and chicken), "less healthy" (pork, butter and cakes) and foods indicative of a "new style of eating" (pre-cooked frozen foods and frozen food products). The ratio of between "healthier" food sales and sales of "less healthy" foods is directly related to the socio-economic level of the population. The higher the socioeconomic level, the higher, the ratio of proportions of "healthier" and less healthy" food. This pattern was similar for 1989 (2.78 in lower level districts and 3.32 in higher level districts, and in 1990 (2.92 and 4.09 respectively) (p < 0.01). From these results, we deduce the need for developing different activities for the promotion of healthy foods according to social groups.
Gutiérrez Sigler
D
D
Instituto Valenciano de Estudios en Salud Pública (IVESP), Valencia.
Márquez Calderón
S
S
Colomer Revuelta
C
C
D015982:Bias; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005502:Food / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005511:Food Handling / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D012924:Social Conditions; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013030:Spain; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data