This study was done to determine and compare the dietary patterns, food composition and factors affecting the food choice of residents in selected rural and urban communities in Zamboanga Peninsula. This was a cross-sectional analytical study of 150 adult respondents representing randomly selected households. Zamboanga City was purposely selected for the urban setting while the Municipalities of Mahayag and Josefina for the rural settings of this study. Two nonconsecutive 24-hour recalls were collected using a questionnaire to determine the dietary patterns and food composition of the residents. The food choice questionnaire was administered to determine the factors affecting the respondents’ food choice. Based on the data drawn in respect to food groups and amount of serving, the energy and macronutrient intake were calculated. The former was presented in kcal/person/day and the latter was presented in g/person/day. The recalled food items were later categorized into key food groups. Dietary patterns were based on the food group with the highest contribution to the total energy intake. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Games-Howell tests were used to determine significant differences in the energy intake and macronutrients among the groups of respondents. The results showed that Zamboanga City had a significantly higher total energy intake as compared to the rural areas of Mahayag and Josefina (1562.2 kcal, 1021.2 kcal and 978.1 kcal, respectively). The carbohydrate intake of Zamboanga City was also higher than the rural counterparts (205.4g, 142.4g, and 160.5g respectively) and they mainly include processed cereals and grains and rice. For Mahayag and Josefina, the carbohydrates were mainly derived from rice, corn and bread. Zamboanga City also consumed significantly higher amounts of protein than Mahayag and Josefina (57.8g, 40.1g and 35.6g, respectively) with main sources as coming from processed meat, meat and fried food. Lastly, for fat intake, Mahayag and Josefina had smaller amounts of fat in their diet as compared to Zamboanga City (37.1g, 30.6g and 104.2g, respectively). Fat sources for Mahayag, Josefina and Zamboanga City largely came from the intake of fried food. As regards to factors affecting their food choice, result for the top two factors (health and mood benefits) were similar for both areas. The groups begin to differ on the 3rd choice where the urban residents considered natural content as a priority factor while price/cost was the determining factor for the rural setting. The results of this study suggest that health policies and programs must take into account these findings in the design of future intervention programs on diet and nutrition.
Keyword: Dietary patterns Food composition and factors Food choice of residents |