Socio-economic status and ethnicity are independently associated with dietary patterns: the
HELIUS-Dietary Patterns study
Sammanfattning
Background: Differences in dietary patterns between ethnic groups have often been observed.
These differences may partially be a reflection of differences in socio-economic status (SES) or may
be the result of differences in the direction and strength of the association between SES and diet.
Objective: We aimed to examine ethnic differences in dietary patterns and the role of socio-economic
indicators on dietary patterns within a multi-ethnic population.
Design: Cross-sectional multi-ethnic population-based study.
Setting: Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Subjects: Principal component analysis was used to identify dietary patterns among Dutch (n=1,254),
South Asian Surinamese (n=425), and African Surinamese (n=784) participants. Levels of education
and occupation were used to indicate SES. Linear regression analysis was used to examine the
association between ethnicity and dietary pattern scores first and then between socio-economic
indicators and dietary patterns within and between ethnic groups.
Results: ‘Noodle/rice dishes and white meat’, ‘red meat, snacks, and sweets’ and ‘vegetables, fruit
and nuts’ patterns were identified. Compared to the Dutch origin participants, Surinamese more
closely adhered to the ‘noodle/rice dishes and white meat’ pattern which was characterized by foods
consumed in a ‘traditional Surinamese diet’. Closer adherence to the other two patterns was
observed among Dutch compared to Surinamese origin participants. Ethnic differences in dietary
patterns persisted within strata of education and occupation. Surinamese showed greater adherence
to a ‘traditional’ pattern independent of SES. Among Dutch participants, a clear socio-economic
gradient in all dietary patterns was observed. Such a gradient was only present among Surinamese
dietary oatterns to the ‘vegetables, fruit and nuts’ pattern.
Conclusions: We found a selective change in the adherence to dietary patterns among Surinamese
origin participants, presumably a move towards more vegetables and fruits with higher SES but
continued fidelity to the traditional diet.