Evidence of the existence of socioeconomic-related inequality South African diets: A quantitative analysis of the 2017 General Household Survey.

Evidence of the existence of socioeconomic-related inequality South African diets

Abstract

Introduction: In South Africa, high levels of chronic undernutrition, especially in children, coexists with increasing rates of obesity and overweight.  The quality of diets is often presented as a possible reason for these high levels of malnutrition.  Together the increasing cost of food, high levels of poverty and inequality mean many households are unable to consume a diverse diet.

Methods: We use cross-sectional data from the 2017 General Household Surveys and inequality analysis to study differences in dietary intake at the household level in South Africa. We measure socioeconomic status (SES) using income and a relative asset index.  The dietary intake is based on the consumption of ten food groups. 

Results: We demonstrate the existence of a consistent pro-rich socioeconomic gradient in food consumption in South Africa, irrespective of the measure of SES used and for all population categories examined. Consumption of grains and sweets is generally high in the country for all socioeconomic groups.  Our findings suggest that households in the low SES group reported having a lower consumption of fruits, vegetables and meats; while households with a high SES reported consuming more vegetables, meat, fruits and legumes. Inequality in both diversity and frequency of consuming all categories of food generally favours the rich.

Conclusion: Dietary intake amongst households in higher SES groups tended to be closer to national and global recommendations.  Government efforts need to be focused on all social and economic sectors to ensure all South Africans have access to healthy and nutritious diets, especially children.