Educational variations in the consumption of foods containing fat in Finland and the Baltic countries

Abstract

Objective: To examine educational differences among people who consume foods containing fat in Finland and the Baltic countries. Design: Data were collected from cross-sectional postal Finbalt Health Monitor surveys that were carried out in 1998, 2000 and 2002. Setting: Estonia, Finland, Latvia and Lithuania. Subjects: For each survey, nationally representative random samples of adults aged 20 -64 years were drawn from population registers (Estonia, n ¼ 3656; Finland, n ¼ 9354, Latvia, n ¼ 6015; Lithuania, n ¼ 5944). Results: Differences were revealed between the countries in the consumption of foods that contain fat. Finnish people consumed butter on bread, high-fat milk, meat and meat products, and vegetable oil for cooking less frequently than people in the Baltic countries. Cheese was most popular in Finland. Educational differences in fat-related food habits were examined by applying logistic regression analysis. A positive association was found between level of education and consumption of vegetable oil used in food preparation. Drinking high-fat milk was associated with low education in all countries. People with higher education tended to consume cheese more often. Educational patterns in the consumption of butter on bread and in the consumption of meat and meat products differed between countries. Conclusions: The consumption of foods containing fat was related to educational levels in all four countries. The diet of better-educated people was closer to recommendations for the consumption of saturated and unsaturated fats than the diet of people with lower level of education. The educational gradient was more consistent in Finland than in the Baltic countries. These existing educational differences in sources of fat consumed should be taken into account in the development of national cardiovascular disease prevention programmes.

Time trends in social differences in nutrition habits of a Lithuanian population: 1994-2010

“…Social differences in milk consumption did not change over time. Such results are in line with other studies that reported an inverse association between consumption of high-fat milk and education level [36-38]. …”

Socio-economic differences in the use of dairy fat in Russian and Finnish Karelia, 1994–2004

“…In previous studies, the consumption of cheese has been more common among persons with a higher educational position in Finland and in several other countries (Petkeviciene et al 2007;Prättälä et al 2003;SanchezVillegas et al 2003). Cheese is typically an expensive food and its consumption is likely to be more common among persons in higher socio-economic groups in Russia as well.…”

“…Their use has decreased remarkably in Finland thereafter. Several Finnish studies have demonstrated that Finns with lower socio-economic position use more dairy fat (Leino et al 1999;Petkeviciene et al 2007). This study draws on data that allow a comparison between two neighbouring areas, the district of Pitkäranta in the Republic of Karelia, Russia and North Karelia in Finland.…”

Associations between food patterns, socioeconomic position and working situation among adult, working women and men in Oslo

“…All three indicators of SEP have shown to be associated with dietary habits (Johansson et al, 1999;Mishra et al, 2002;Perrin et al, 2002;Robinson et al, 2004;Metcalf et al, 2006;Lallukka et al, 2007;Petkeviciene et al, 2007;Arkkola et al, 2008). Previous studies most often use only one or two of the indicators.…”