Socio-economic circumstances and food habits in Eastern, Central and Western European populations.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the relationship between several socio-economic indicators and frequency of consumption of seven predefined healthy foods (consumption of fruit, vegetables, wholegrain bread, vegetable-fat spread, vegetable cooking fat, low-fat milk and low-fat cheese) in populations from Eastern, Central and Western Europe.


METHODS
Analysis of baseline data collected in two cross-sectional cohort studies between 2000 and 2005: the Health, Alcohol and Psychosocial factors In Eastern Europe (HAPIEE) study and the Finnish Helsinki Health Study (HHS).


METHODS
Urban populations in the Czech Republic, Russia, Poland and Finland.


METHODS
In the HAPIEE study, random samples of men and women aged 45-69 years were drawn from population registers and electoral lists of selected cities. In the HHS, men and women aged 40-60 years employed by the City of Helsinki were recruited. Data on 21,326 working subjects from both cohorts were analysed.


RESULTS
Healthy food habits were, in general, positively associated with higher education, occupational position and fewer economic difficulties, but there were differences in the strength of the gradient by food and country. Fruit consumption showed the most consistent gradients, especially in relation to socio-economic status among men (country-specific relative index of inequality (RII)=2.02-5.17) and women (RII=2.09-3.57).


CONCLUSIONS
The associations between socio-economic indicators and healthy food habits showed heterogeneity between countries. Future studies of dietary behaviours should consider multiple measures of socio-economic position.
Boylan
Sinéad
S
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
Lallukka
Tea
T
Lahelma
Eero
E
Pikhart
Hynek
H
Malyutina
Sofia
S
Pajak
Andrzej
A
Kubinova
Ruzena
R
Bragina
Oksana
O
Stepaniak
Urszula
U
Gillis-Januszewska
Aleksandra
A
Simonova
Galina
G
Peasey
Anne
A
Bobak
Martin
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004522:Educational Status; D005060:Europe; D005061:Europe, Eastern; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
D004041:Dietary Fats