Association between dietary patterns and socioeconomic factors and food environment in a city in the South of Brazil.

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between dietary patterns and demographic and socioeconomic factors and the food environment among adults and older persons in a city in the south of Brazil. We conducted a cross-sectional study with people of both sexes aged between 20 and 70 years. Dietary patterns were identified using principal component analysis. Poisson regression was used to estimate crude and adjusted prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Four dietary patterns were identified: Healthy; Traditional; Refined Carbs and Sugars; and Fast Food. Positive associations were found between being female and higher income and the Healthy dietary pattern; being black or brown and living in a household with at least six members and the Traditional and Refined Carbs and Sugars patterns; and higher education and the fast-food dietary pattern. Having main meals at home was associated with the Traditional pattern and having lunch or dinner away from home was the associated with Refined Carbs and Sugars and fast-food patterns. Lower socioeconomic status leads to higher consumption of the Traditional and/or Refined Carbs and Sugars dietary patterns, while higher socioeconomic status appears to enable individuals to choose between healthy or fast-food patterns.