Abstract
To identify sociodemographic characteristics associated with frequency of consuming home-cooked meals and meals from out-of-home sources. Cross-sectional analysis of a population-based cohort study. Frequency of consuming home-cooked meals, ready meals, takeaways and meals out were derived from a participant questionnaire. Sociodemographic characteristics regarding sex, age, ethnicity, working overtime and socio-economic status (SES; measured by household income, educational attainment, occupational status and employment status) were self-reported. Sociodemographic differences in higher v. lower meal consumption frequency were explored using logistic regression, adjusted for other key sociodemographic variables. Cambridgeshire, UK. Fenland Study participants (n 11 326), aged 29-64 years at baseline. Eating home-cooked meals more frequently was associated with being female, older, of higher SES (measured by greater educational attainment and household income) and not working overtime. Being male was associated with a higher frequency of consumption for all out-of-home meal types. Consuming takeaways more frequently was associated with lower SES (measured by lower educational attainment and household income), whereas eating out more frequently was associated with higher SES (measured by greater educational attainment and household income) and working overtime. Sociodemographic characteristics associated with frequency of eating meals from different out-of-home sources varied according to meal source. Findings may be used to target public health policies and interventions for promoting healthier diets and dietary-related health towards people consuming home-cooked meals less frequently, such as men, those with lower educational attainment and household income, and overtime workers.
Highlights
In the present study we aimed to identify detailed sociodemographic characteristics associated with frequency of consuming home-cooked meals and meals from different out-of-home sources, namely takeaways, preprepared ready meals and eating out, in a populationbased cross-sectional cohort
Sociodemographic characteristics In view of current evidence regarding factors influencing dietary intake[42], we explored patterns of meal consumption according to the following sociodemographic variables: sex, age, ethnicity, working overtime, and socio-economic status (SES) in terms of household income, educational attainment, occupational status and employment status
In a population-based cross-sectional study, the sociodemographic characteristics associated with frequency of eating meals from different out-of-home sources varied according to meal source
Summary
Data source The Fenland Study is a large, population-based cohort study which recruited adults from general practice lists in Cambridgeshire, UK, between 2005 and 2015, inviting those who were born between 1950 and 1975(36–39). Frequency of eating out was established through a separate item in the participant questionnaire: ‘On average, how often do you eat a meal outside of the home (restaurants, pubs, fast-food outlets etc.)?’ Response options were: ‘less than once a week’, ‘once a week’, ‘two to four times a week’, ‘five to six times a week’, ‘once a day’ or ‘more than once a day’. These options were collapsed into ‘less than once per week’ and ‘once or more per week’, for the same reasons as the other main meal sources. In view of the large number of comparisons, 99 % CI were used and P < 0·01 taken to indicate statistical significance
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