The Effect Of Income And Length Of Urban Residence On Food Patterns, Food Intake And Nutrient Adequacy In An Amazonian Peri-Urban Slum Population

Abstract

The influence of income and length of urban residence over the dietary patterns, food intakes and nutrient adequacies were investigated in a slum suburb of Manaus, capital of the State of Amazonas, Brazil. The staple diet consisted of cassava flour, bread, rice, fish, meat, sugar and coffee. The consumption of vegetables, pulses and fruits was low. The diet did not meet recommended levels of intake at the family level for zinc, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin and energy, but was satisfactory for protein and iron. Length of urban residence was significantly related to family income, significantly affected the frequency of consumption of meat, fish and milk, but did not exert a significant influence over the adequacy of the diet for the various nutrients studied. Income was shown to be the major determinant of nutritional adequacy, probably due to a quantitative effect since income improved the quality of the diet only for vitamin A. Little utilized, cheap sources of vitamin A are available and indicate a scope for nutrition education. Food expenditure correlated positively with per capita income. It is estimated that income was the predominant factor limiting dietary adequacy for 30 to 60 percent of the Manaus population at the time of the survey. © 1984, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.