Dietary patterns and their association with sociodemographic factors in Lithuanian adult population

The aim of the study was to determine the association between dietary patterns and sociodemographic factors using the data of Lithuanian health behavior monitoring.
Material and methods. In 1998–2004, four cross-sectional surveys were carried out within the FINBALT HEALTH MONITOR project. For every survey, a random sample of 3000 Lithuanians aged 20–64 years was taken from the National Population Register by mailed questionnaires. The response rates varied from 61.7% to 74.4%. Factor analysis was employed in order to reduce the number of food items. Four main factors were defined: “light food,” “sweets,” “heavy food,” and “cereals” factors. The associations between dietary patterns and sociodemographic factors were examined by applying a logistic regression analysis.
Results. Four major factors accounted for 45.9% of the total variance in food intake in men and 46.5% in women. The “sweets” factor was inversely associated with age both in men and women. A strong positive association was found between age and the “cereals” factor. Men and women with a higher level of education were more likely to follow “light food” and “sweets” pattern and less likely “heavy food” if compared with people with a lower level of education. The odds of consuming “light food” were higher in cities than in rural areas. Married men and women were more likely to follow “heavy food” pattern compared to unmarried.
Conclusion. This study identified four main dietary patterns in Lithuanian population. Dietary patterns of people with a higher level of education and inhabitants of cities are closer to the recommendations on healthy nutrition.