title: The role of income and education in food consumption and nutrient intake in a Chinese population.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of socio-economic status in the transition of food consumption and nutritional status in a Tianjin population and to identify some related underlying nutritional problems in this population. A random representative sample of appproximately nine million people in Tianjin was obtained using the stratified multistage cluster sampling method. A total of 2236 eligible subjects (1096 men and 1140 women) aged between 15 and 64 years were enrolled in the autumn of 1992. Food weighing plus a three-day food record method were used to assess food consumption and nutrient intakes. The population was categorized into four income groups by average per capita income and three educational groups by years of education. There were marked differences in daily mean consumption of foods among groups with different income levels and educational attainment after adjustment for confounding factors. The low income and/or least education group consumed more cereals while the high income and/or most educated group consumed more fruit, milk and meat. Due to the differences in food consumption, intakes of protein, fat, riboflavin, calcium, selenium, zinc and vitamin E increased while intakes of carbohydrate and manganese decreased with increasing levels of income and education. Vitamin A, calcium and riboflavin intakes were low in all groups classified by either income or education. Vitamin A intake was lower in the low income group than in the other three groups but intakes of calcium and riboflavin were higher in the high income and/or the most educated group than in the other groups. Socio-economic status plays an important role in food consumption and nutritional status in this population. Low intakes of vitamin A, calcium and riboflavin exist in all socio-economic groups. However, higher income and/or educational attainment contribute to increased intakes of calcium and riboflavin. Higher income also relates to an increased intake of vitamin A.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Monash University, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Hsu-Hage
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Wahlqvist