title: How diverse is the diet of adult South Africans?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of the current study was to measure dietary diversity in South Africans aged 16 years and older from all population groups as a proxy of food security.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study representative of adults from all specified ages, provinces, geographic localities, and socio-economic strata in South Africa was used (n=3287). Trained interviewers visited participants at their homes during the survey. Dietary data was collected by means of a face validated 24 hour recall which was not quantified. A dietary diversity score (DDS) was calculated by counting each of 9 food groups. A DDS<4 was regarded as reflecting poor dietary diversity and poor food security.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The provinces with the highest prevalence of poor dietary diversity (DDS<4) were Limpopo (61.8%) and the Eastern Cape (59.6%). By contrast, only 15.7% of participants in Western Cape had a low score. Participants in tribal areas (63.9%) and informal urban areas (55.7%) were by far the worst affected. There were significant differences in DDS by Living Standards Mean (LSM) analysis (p<0.05) with the lowest LSM group having the lowest mean DDS (2.93).The most commonly consumed food groups were cereals/roots; meat/fish; dairy and vegetables other than vitamin A rich. Eggs, legumes, and vitamin A rich fruit and vegetables were the least consumed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall the majority of South Africans consumed a diet low in dietary variety. The tribal areas and informal urban areas were worst affected and eggs, legumes and vitamin A rich fruit and vegetables, were the least consumed.
authors.affiliation: Centre for the Study of Social and Environmental Determinants of Nutrition, Knowledge Systems: Human Sciences Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Demetre
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Labadarios
authors.forename: Nelia Patricia
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Steyn
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D044383:Black People; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D004034:Diet Surveys; D002523:Edible Grain; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005399:Fishes; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008460:Meat; D008875:Middle Aged; D018517:Plant Roots; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult