Sociodemographic determinants of energy, fat and dietary fibre intake in Australian adults

Objective: To examine the relationship between sociodemographic factors (sex, age, education, occupation and region of birth) and absolute levels of energy, fat and fibre intake in adults at the national level. Design, setting and subjects: The 1983 National Dietary Survey of Adults (NDSA), covering six Australian capital cities, collected food and nutrient intake data using the 24-hour recall method, from subjects aged 25-64 years (n=6255). Results: Interactions of variables occurred, especially for males. The greatest effect on male intake of all three dietary components was a combination of age and education. For females, the main explanatory variable for fat and energy intake was age, but that for fibre was a combination of region of birth and education. Both education (alone or in combination) and region of birth (alone or in combination) had a greater effect than occupation (alone or in combination). Conclusions: Energy, fat and fibre intakes vary considerably between sociodemographic groups. Such variability must be taken into account in formulating policy and planning decisions and in assessing temporal change.