title: Demographic and socioeconomic disparity in nutrition: application of a novel Correlated Component Regression approach.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to examine the most important demographic and socioeconomic factors associated with diet quality, evaluated in terms of compliance with national dietary recommendations, selection of healthy and unhealthy food choices, energy density and food variety. We hypothesised that different demographic and socioeconomic factors may show disparate associations with diet quality.
  
  
  METHODS
  A nationwide, cross-sectional, population-based study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 1352 apparently healthy and non-institutionalised subjects, aged 18-69 years, participated in the Observation of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Luxembourg (ORISCAV-LUX) study in 2007-2008. The participants attended the nearest study centre after a telephone appointment, and were interviewed by trained research staff.
  
  
  METHODS
  Diet quality as measured by 5 dietary indicators, namely, recommendation compliance index (RCI), recommended foods score (RFS), non-recommended foods score (non-RFS), energy density score (EDS), and dietary diversity score (DDS). The novel Correlated Component Regression (CCR) technique was used to determine the importance and magnitude of the association of each socioeconomic factor with diet quality, in a global analytic approach.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Increasing age, being male and living below the poverty threshold were predominant factors associated with eating a high energy density diet. Education level was an important factor associated with healthy and adequate food choices, whereas economic resources were predominant factors associated with food diversity and energy density.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Multiple demographic and socioeconomic circumstances were associated with different diet quality indicators. Efforts to improve diet quality for high-risk groups need an important public health focus.
authors.affiliation: Luxembourg Health Institute L.I.H. (formerly Centre de Recherche Public Santé), Centre d'Etudes en Santé, Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, Strassen, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: Ala'a
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alkerwi
authors.affiliation: Luxembourg Health Institute L.I.H. (formerly Centre de Recherche Public Santé), Centre d'Etudes en Santé, Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, Strassen, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: Céderic
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vernier
authors.affiliation: Luxembourg Health Institute L.I.H. (formerly Centre de Recherche Public Santé), Centre d'Etudes en Santé, Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, Strassen, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sauvageot
authors.affiliation: Luxembourg Health Institute L.I.H. (formerly Centre de Recherche Public Santé), Centre d'Etudes en Santé, Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, Strassen, Luxembourg Nutritional Physiology Research Centre, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.
authors.forename: Georgina E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Crichton
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA.
authors.forename: Merrill F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Elias
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004522:Educational Status; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008189:Luxembourg / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: NUTRITION & DIETETICS; PUBLIC HEALTH; SOCIAL MEDICINE