Socioeconomic Factors Affecting Dietary Status: An Appraisal

Abstract

this paper is to identify selected studies which have contributed to the present knowledge on socioeconomic characteristics of households and dietary status. Studies of the socioeconomic factors influencing dietary status have undergone significant change in recent years because of developments in statistics and household decision theory. In the latter case, households utilize various inputs-for example, food as purchased and the labor of household members-to produce diets with varying features including nutrient compositions. As indicated by the work of Basiotis et al. (1983); Blanciforti, Green, and Lane; Davis et al. (1982b); Sanderson; and Sexauer; this framework provides a systematic rationale for the incorporation of socioeconomic variables into integrated statistical analyses of food consumption and dietary status. More specifically, the scope of traditional consumer demand theory has been significantly increased by household economic decision theory. In addition, permitting explicit incorporation of socioeconomic variables in Engel and full demand systems, this theory makes a plausible linkage between food intake and dietary status. Since household economics merely extends, rather than refutes, the intrinsic utility maximization properties of traditional demand theory, the Engel and demand systems relationships postulated linking socioeconomic characteristics, food expenditure, and dietary status are admitted by the theory (Stigler and B cker). As will be demonstrated, research results are accumulating on household size, household income and expenditure, nutrient levels in household food supplies and individual diets, efficiency of food use, away-from-home food consumption, and use of convenience foods. However, studies of the relationship between socioeconomic characteristics of households and/or individuals and nutrient availability and/or dietary intake levels have produced varyingly conclusive results. Among other factors, these varying results can be attributed to (a) different measures of diet quality and (b) differences in individual food intake versus food disappearance data. Further, diet quality has been assessed directly (units of nutrients available or consumed) as well as indirectly (expenditure levels on food). The dietary components studied most frequently are food energy, protein, calcium, iron, vitamins A and C, riboflavin, thiamin, and niacin. However, recently studies have given less attention to thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin C and instead have investigated vitamin B6 and magnesium. In the near future, this list of target dietary components will probably include cholesterol, sodium, dietary fiber, zinc, and copper. This extension will occur for two reasons: (a) consumer interest in these dietary components and (b) availability of survey data on these dietary components, e.g., the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) 1985 Continuing Survey of Food Intake by Individuals and the 1987-88 Nationwide Food Consumption Sur-