Patterns of dietary change in Australia: evidence from the 1989-90 National Health Survey

Medical problems relating to "over-nutrition" in the developed world are well documented. In Australia as in other developed countries, the financial cost of providing services for nutrition-related diseases is high. The need therefore for a population with healthy eating habits cannot be over-emphasised. The study analysed the 1989-90 National Health Survey data to determine the prevalence of, and patterns of changes in dietary behaviour, and the types of foods whose consumption had changed. It used contingency tables and X2 statistic to present the changes and to determine the significance of those changes. The study also examined the changes that had occurred along the lines of socio-economic and demographic characteristics of respondents, factors which are known to influence dietary behaviour. Finally, a multiple regression approach was used to identify the group of demographic, socio-economic and life-style factors that were most closely related to changes in specified dietary behaviour.