Open AccessFood habits of young and middle–aged women living outside the capital cities of Australia
Author(s) -
Dobson Annette,
Mishra Gita,
Brown Wendy,
Reynolds Rhonda
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.946
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1753-6405
pISSN - 1326-0200
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-842x.1997.tb01785.x
Subject(s) - environmental health , fish <actinopterygii> , rural area , medicine , food group , food habits , geography , demography , biology , pathology , fishery , sociology
Young (18–22 years) and middle–aged (45–49 years) women living in urban and rural areas of New South Wales completed a brief food frequency questionnaire as part of a wider health survey. Urban women in both age groups consumed meat less frequently than women in rural areas, and women in the less populated rural areas were more likely to eat green and yellow vegetables and least likely to eat dried beans. There were few other geographic differences in food habits. Middle–aged women consumed reduced–fat milk, fruit, vegetables, fish, biscuits and cakes significandy more frequently, and rice, pasta, full–cream milk, fried food and take–away food less frequently than younger women. Smokers in both age groups consumed fresh fruit, vegetables and breakfast cereals significantly less frequendy than non–smokers, and women with low levels of habitual physical activity consumed fresh fruit and cereals less frequendy than more active women. The findings suggest that strategies aimed at changing eating behaviours should be age–group–specific and targeted specifically to smokers and less active women.