title: Dietary intake and rural-urban migration in India: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Migration from rural areas of India contributes to urbanisation and lifestyle change, and dietary changes may increase the risk of obesity and chronic diseases. We tested the hypothesis that rural-to-urban migrants have different macronutrient and food group intake to rural non-migrants, and that migrants have a diet more similar to urban non-migrants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The diets of migrants of rural origin, their rural dwelling sibs, and those of urban origin together with their urban dwelling sibs were assessed by an interviewer-administered semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. A total of 6,509 participants were included. Median energy intake in the rural, migrant and urban groups was 2731, 3078, and 3224 kcal respectively for men, and 2153, 2504, and 2644 kcal for women (p<0.001). A similar trend was seen for overall intake of fat, protein and carbohydrates (p<0.001), though differences in the proportion of energy from these nutrients were <2%. Migrant and urban participants reported up to 80% higher fruit and vegetable intake than rural participants (p<0.001), and up to 35% higher sugar intake (p<0.001). Meat and dairy intake were higher in migrant and urban participants than rural participants (p<0.001), but varied by region. Sibling-pair analyses confirmed these results. There was no evidence of associations with time in urban area.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rural to urban migration appears to be associated with both positive (higher fruit and vegetables intake) and negative (higher energy and fat intake) dietary changes. These changes may be of relevance to cardiovascular health and warrant public health interventions.
authors: Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom. lizabowen@gmail.com
authors: Liza
authors: L
authors: Bowen
authors: Shah
authors: S
authors: Ebrahim
authors: Bianca
authors: B
authors: De Stavola
authors: Andy
authors: A
authors: Ness
authors: Sanjay
authors: S
authors: Kinra
authors: A V
authors: AV
authors: Bharathi
authors: Dorairaj
authors: D
authors: Prabhakaran
authors: K Srinath
authors: KS
authors: Reddy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003710:Demography; D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004034:Diet Surveys / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000502:physiology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D011157:Population Dynamics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*