Yoghurt in the Spanish diet: nutritional implications and socio-cultural aspects of its consumption.
OBJECTIVE
This study aims to analyse the differences, with regard to socio-cultural characteristics and dietary habits, between low and high consumers of yoghurt and other fermented dairy product desserts, and the nutritional significance of these differences.


METHODS
We analysed the diet of a healthy population (4-65 years), using the 24-hour recall method, on three non-consecutive days. The participants were grouped by age and sex and were also divided into tertiles on the basis of yoghurt consumption. We compared energy and nutrient intakes, educational level and socio-economic status in the low consumption (LC) group and the high consumption (HC) group.


RESULTS
In general there were no significant differences in energy intake or nutritional profile between LC and HC groups. The only significant difference was in the percentage of energy provided by lipids, which was significantly lower in HC women, possibly due to the high number of women in this group who consumed low-fat yoghurt. There were significant differences in the distribution of HC and LC subjects according to the three educational levels but not according to socio-economic status.


CONCLUSIONS
The fact of being a high consumer of fermented dairy products took place in the framework of other dietary changes that compensated for this high consumption, resulting in the absence of significant differences in energy intake and nutritional profile between HC and LC subjects. The only exception was found in women who consumed low-fat dairy products. There was a relationship between high consumption of fermented dairy products and educational level.
Capdevila
Francesca
F
Pediatrics Unit, Research Group on Food, Nutrition, Growth and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, University Rovira i Virgili, C/ Sant Llorenç 21, 43201, Reus, Spain. fcm@fmcs.urv.es
Martí-Henneberg
Carles
C
Closa
Ricardo
R
Subías
Joaquín Escribano
JE
Fernández-Ballart
Joan
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004522:Educational Status; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000502:physiology; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005285:Fermentation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D012923:Social Class; D013030:Spain; D015014:Yogurt
D004041:Dietary Fats