University od Montreal. CAN: Canadian
men's eating habits are associated with the availability of healthy
food sources in their residential neighbourhood but women's are not,
according to researchers at the University of Montreal and its
affiliated CHUM hospital.
“We found that, for men only, intake of fruit and vegetables was
positively associated with the proportion of healthy food outlets around
home”, explained Christelle M. Clary of the university's department of
social and preventative medicine, who led the study. Why men and not
women? “This may be because women, who are in general more nutritionally
knowledgeable, may engage in different food shopping strategies than
men, and rely on other aspects of the food environment than the
proportion of food stores locally available,” suggested Professor Yan
Kestens, who directed the study.
The study was based on data from the Canadian Community Health Survey
(CCHS), and looked at the eating habits of 49,403 Canadians living in
Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and Ottawa (including Gatineau,
Quebec). The food outlets of each city were mapped using a database
containing information on the type and location of all food businesses.
For the purpose of this study, supermarkets, grocery stores, fruit and
vegetable stores and natural food stores were considered as potential
sources of “healthy foods” (especially fruits and vegetables), while
convenience stores and fast-food restaurants were considered less
healthy food sources.
This data was then overlaid with the participant's residential postal
codes in order to assess the relative availability of healthy and
unhealthy food sources around participant's home. Researchers accounted
for other factors known to influence eating habits, such as age,
education, or income. “Overall, the data show that women from our
sample declare eating on average 4.4 portions of fruit and vegetables
per day, almost one more daily portion than men,” Clary said. “The data
also show that fruit and vegetable consumption is significantly higher
in Montreal, at 4.14 portions per day, than in Toronto, at 3.86 portions
per day,” she added.
Why men's fruit and vegetable consumption is related to the
proportion of healthy outlets remains unclear. “Among the potential
explanations for these findings is that neighbourhoods where healthy (or
unhealthy) food sources are bountiful may reflect social norms
regarding food consumption in that area, encouraging individuals to
conform to the social norm,” Kestens explained. The research team
believes that more research is needed to gain a better understanding of
the mechanisms linking food environments and diet. “Overall, the
statement of differential findings within Canadian population that we
have uncovered warns against the search for a single universal effect of
food environments on our health-related habits,” Kestens concluded.