Characterization of street food consumption in Palermo: possible effects on health.
BACKGROUND
Street Food (SF) consists of out-of-home food consumption and has old, historical roots with complex social-economic and cultural implications. Despite the emergence of modern fast food, traditional SF persists worldwide, but the relationship of SF consumption with overall health, well-being, and obesity is unknown.


METHODS
This is an observational, cross-sectional study. The study was performed in Palermo, the largest town of Sicily, Italy. Two groups were identified: consumers of SF (n = 687) and conventional restaurant food (RES) consumers (n = 315). Study subjects answered a questionnaire concerning their health conditions, nutritional preferences, frequency of consumption of SF and a score relative to SF consumption ranging from 0 to 20 was calculated.


RESULTS
Body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) was significantly and independently correlated with the score of street food consumption (r = 0,103; p < 0.002). The prevalence of different diseases, including hypertension and type 2 diabetes, and the use of medications did not differ between the two groups. Milza (a sandwich stuffed with thin slice of bovine spleen and lung) consumers had a significantly higher prevalence of hypertension (12.2% vs 6.2% in non consumers; p < 0.005) and in this subgroup the use of anti-hypertensive drugs was inversely correlated with the frequency of milza consumption (r = 0.11; P = 0.010).


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that SF consumption in Palermo is associated with a higher BMI and higher prevalence of hypertension in milza consumers. Further studies should evaluate whether frequent SF consumers have unfavourable metabolic and cardiovascular profile.
Department of Medicina Interna e Specialistica (DIMIS), Faculty of Medicine University of Palermo (Italy)-Policlinico "P,Giaccone", Via del Vespro, 129-I-90127 Palermo, Italy. silbus@tin.it
Silvio
S
Buscemi
Annamaria
A
Barile
Vincenza
V
Maniaci
John A
JA
Batsis
Alessandro
A
Mattina
Salvatore
S
Verga
D000328:Adult; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D002149:Energy Intake; D057140:Fast Foods; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009747:Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012147:Restaurants; D012802:Sicily / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult