Implications of socio-economic status on the dietary fatty acid intakes in Turkish women

Aim: To investigate the effects of socio-economic status (SES) on the dietary intakes of fatty acids in a group of Turkish women.Materials and methods: Five hundred and sixty three women were randomly enrolled into the study. They were classifiedin to 3 SES groups: group 1 high (n = 186), group 2 medium (n = 186), and group 3 low (n = 191). The groups were determined by the SES distribution of Ankara as determined by the 2000 census. Each participant was investigated with a questionnaire consisting of demographic characteristics, physical activity level (24-h record), and dietary intake (24-hrecall) by dietetics interns. Body weight, height, waist, and hip measurements were taken.Results: Dietary protein, fat and carbohydrate intakes and their respective percentages of total energy were significantly different among the SES groups (P 0.05). Based on the detailed dietary fat analysis, saturated and monounsaturated fatty acid intakes were highest in group 1, polyunsaturated fatty acids intake and ω-6:ω-3 ratio was highest in group 3 (P 0.05). Body mass index, waist to hip ratio, and physical activity expenditure differed significantly between groups (P 0.05).Conclusion: SES seems to be associated with dietary fat, fatty acid intake, and ω-6:ω-3 ratio. Thus, to maintain proper dietary balances, SES should be also verified in conjunction with the dietary modifications.