Social and community networks influence dietary attitudes in regional New South Wales, Australia
Date
2019
Authors
Burgis-Kasthala, Sarath
Slimings, Claudia
Smith, Marie
Elmitt, Nicholas
Moore, Malcolm
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Australian Rural Health Education Network
Abstract
Introduction: Rural populations in Australia have a higher prevalence of obesity, cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes and some cancers. The purpose of the present study was to determine associations between socioeconomic characteristics (socioeconomic position, income, wealth, debt, occupation, social network diversity), dietary attitudes, and fruit and vegetable intake for people living rurally in Australia.
Method: A community based cross-sectional survey between February and July 2018 of 326 adults (median age 57 years, range 20-90 years, 64.4% female) who attended rural shows in four rural towns in south-eastern New South Wales, supplemented with data from patients attending general practices in two additional towns. Participants completed a questionnaire that recorded self-reported daily consumption of fruit and vegetables, a dietary attitude score, and items measuring social and economic circumstances.
Results: Using multivariable regression analysis, the odds of
meeting Australian fruit intake guidelines was 13% higher for each
unit increase in dietary attitude score (odds ratio (OR)=1.13, 95%
confidence interval (CI)=1.03–1.23). The odds of meeting vegetable
intake guidelines were 19% higher for each unit increase in score
(OR=1.19, 95%CI=1.09–1.31). Social and economic factors were
not independently associated with fruit or vegetable intake.
Dietary attitude score, in turn, increased on average by 0.07 points
(95%CI=0.01–0.12) for each additional occupation type among the
participants’ social networks. For women who socialised regularly
in small towns the score was 1.97 points higher
(95%CI=0.93–3.00). Men in outer regional areas were more likely
to meet vegetable intake guidelines than men in inner regional
areas, whereas women in outer regional areas were more likely to
meet fruit intake guidelines than women in inner regional areas.
Conclusions: Greater fruit and vegetable intake was predicted by
healthier dietary attitudes which in turn were related to social and
community connections, rather than economic factors.
Description
Keywords
adults, Australia, community, diet, lifestyle, New South Wales, nutrition, social capital, socioeconomic
Citation
Collections
Source
Rural and Remote Health
Type
Journal article
Book Title
Entity type
Access Statement
Open Access
License Rights
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence