title: Sociodemographic determinants of diet quality of the EU elderly: a comparative analysis in four countries.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the sociodemographic determinants of diet quality of the elderly in four EU countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study. For each country, a regression was performed of a multidimensional index of dietary quality v. sociodemographic variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  In Finland, Finnish Household Budget Survey (1998 and 2006); in Sweden, SNAC-K (2001-2004); in the UK, Expenditure & Food Survey (2006-07); in Italy, Multi-purpose Survey of Daily Life (2009).
  
  
  METHODS
  One- and two-person households of over-50s (Finland, n 2994; UK, n 4749); over-50 s living alone or in two-person households (Italy, n 7564); over-60 s (Sweden, n 2023).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Diet quality among the EU elderly is both low on average and heterogeneous across individuals. The regression models explained a small but significant part of the observed heterogeneity in diet quality. Resource availability was associated with diet quality either negatively (Finland and UK) or in a non-linear or non-statistically significant manner (Italy and Sweden), as was the preference for food parameter. Education, not living alone and female gender were characteristics positively associated with diet quality with consistency across the four countries, unlike socio-professional status, age and seasonality. Regional differences within countries persisted even after controlling for the other sociodemographic variables.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Poor dietary choices among the EU elderly were not caused by insufficient resources and informational measures could be successful in promoting healthy eating for healthy ageing. On the other hand, food habits appeared largely set in the latter part of life, with age and retirement having little influence on the healthiness of dietary choices.
authors: 1 Economic Research Unit, MTT Agrifood Research Finland, Latokartanonkaari 9, 00790 Helsinki, Finland.
authors: Xavier
authors: X
authors: Irz
authors: 2 Karolinska Institutet and Aging Research Center, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Fratiglioni
authors: 1 Economic Research Unit, MTT Agrifood Research Finland, Latokartanonkaari 9, 00790 Helsinki, Finland.
authors: Nataliya
authors: N
authors: Kuosmanen
authors: 3 Department of Statistics, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors: Mario
authors: M
authors: Mazzocchi
authors: 3 Department of Statistics, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors: Lucia
authors: L
authors: Modugno
authors: 4 Department of Food Economics and Marketing, University of Reading, Reading, UK.
authors: Giuseppe
authors: G
authors: Nocella
authors: 2 Karolinska Institutet and Aging Research Center, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors: Behnaz
authors: B
authors: Shakersain
authors: 4 Department of Food Economics and Marketing, University of Reading, Reading, UK.
authors: W Bruce
authors: WB
authors: Traill
authors: 2 Karolinska Institutet and Aging Research Center, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors: Weili
authors: W
authors: Xu
authors: 4 Department of Food Economics and Marketing, University of Reading, Reading, UK.
authors: Giacomo
authors: G
authors: Zanello
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000592:standards; D004034:Diet Surveys; D005062:European Union; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D005518:Food Preferences; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D006113:United Kingdom
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