Abstract
Introduction: adverse socioeconomic conditions may cause food intake characterized by inequality that derives in malnutrition increases. Objective. To identify inequalities in food consumption among the Colombian population according to socioeconomic status and the food security classification forhouseholds. Methods. the data were obtained from the 2005 National Survey of Nutritional Status, and the analysis used the first 24-hour recall n=39,413 Colombians. The statistical analysis took into account descriptive statistics and 95% confidence intervals. A multivariate analysis was performed through multinomial logistic regression models, with each of the food groups as a dependent variable. Finally, a latent class analysis was performed to understand the heterogeneity of the inequalities in food consumption in the households. Results. Low-socioeconomic status households showed higherconsumption of cereals, tubers and plantains, non-alcoholic beverages, and fats. I contrast, higher socioeconomic status households showed higher consumption of dairy products, fruit, vegetables, and sugars/sweets. The food security classification found that food-secure households had a higherconsumption of meat, dairy, vegetables, fruit, and sugars/sweets. Households classified as food-insecure showed a higher consumption of cereals, tubers and plantains, and non-alcoholic beverages. The consumption of tubers and plantains showed a clear social gradient, in higher socioeconomic status there was lower consumption probability of those products. Conclusion. There are inequalities in food consumption in Colombia according to socioeconomic status and the food security classification; therefore, people and families with the most unfavorable socioeconomic status have diets with less nutritional value.
Highlights
Food and nutrition issues are global concerns because of their effects on human development, health, and well-being
According to the median of grams of food consumption, for a higher SES there was a lower consumption of cereals, tubers and plantains, nonalcoholic beverages, and fats
There was no clear tendency in terms of the probability of consumption of meat according to SES, but it was noticeable that, compared to the reference group, the probability of consumption between the first and third quintiles was lower for Levels 1, 2, and 3 of SES
Summary
Food and nutrition issues are global concerns because of their effects on human development, health, and well-being. In Colombia that reality is similar, in 2019 35.7% of its population was living in poverty and, with a Gini index of 0.526, the country was classified as the most inequitable in South America [4]. In the specific case of nutrition, the economic and social circumstances of a country and its inhabitants result in a social gradient of the diet, which contributes to health inequalities [7]. Food consumption is influenced by inequality, which is expressed by both deficiencies and excesses that originate nutritional imbalances [7], it is the consumption pattern, more than the absence of specific nutrients in the diet, that evidences the real circumstances of food availability and the differentiated conditions of the population’s inclusion in different social environments [8]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
