Abstract
Introduction: To determine dietary intake of 19 to 64 years old urban Africans in Cape Town in 2009 and examine the changes between 1990 and 2009. Methods: A representative cross-sectional sample (n = 544), stratified by gender and age was randomly selected in 2009 from the same areas sampled in 1990. Socio-demographic data and a 24-h dietary recall were obtained by trained field workers. The associations of dietary data with an asset index and degree of urbanization were assessed. Results: Fat intakes were higher in 19–44-year-old men (32% energy (E)) and women (33.4%E) in 2009 compared with 1990 (men: 25.9%E, women: 27.0%E) while carbohydrate intakes were lower in 2009 (men 53.2%E, women: 55.5%E) than in 1990 (men: 61.3%E; women: 62%E) while sugar intake increased significantly (p < 0.01) in women. There were significant positive correlations between urbanization and total fat (p = 0.016), saturated fat (p = 0.001), monounsaturated fat (p = 0.002) and fat as a %E intake (p = 0.046). Urbanization was inversely associated with intake of carbohydrate %E (p < 0.001). Overall micronutrient intakes improved significantly compared with 1990. It should also be noted that energy and macronutrient intakes were all significant in a linear regression model using mean adequacy ratio (MAR) as a measure of dietary quality in 2009, as was duration of urbanization. Discussion: The higher fat and lower carbohydrate %E intakes in this population demonstrate a transition to a more urbanized diet over last two decades. These dietary changes reflect the nutrition transitions that typically occur as a longer time is spent in urban centers.
Highlights
To determine dietary intake of 19 to 64 years old urban Africans in Cape Town in 2009 and examine the changes between 1990 and 2009
Diet and nutrition factors play a key role in the causation of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), diabetes, and cancers, by influencing the biological variables that mediate the risk for these conditions
The present study focused on the dietary intake of the black population in Cardiovascular Risk in Black South Africans (CRIBSA) 2009 and examined dietary changes between 1990 [9,10] and 2009, nearly two decades later
Summary
To determine dietary intake of 19 to 64 years old urban Africans in Cape Town in 2009 and examine the changes between 1990 and 2009. The associations of dietary data with an asset index and degree of urbanization were assessed. A diet that is energy-dense, high in total fat and saturated fat, high in sugar and low in fiber and micronutrients frequently leads to obesity, which, in turn, is a major risk factor for the development of NCDs, including type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, and heart disease [1]. With rising industrialization, urbanization, and mechanization evident in most countries worldwide, diet and nutritional status have undergone major changes [1,2]. There has been a shift away from traditional diets toward the higher fat and higher refined carbohydrate Western diet [4], with dietary fat intake increasing steadily over the last four decades [5].
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