Food and nutrient intakes for families in Taipei, Taiwan

Abstract

The main purpose of this study is to examine food consumption and food security issues for families in urbanized Taiwan using household interviews (n=240), and to collect dietary information from each family member (n=882) using 24-h recalls and Chinese food frequency questionnaires (CFFQ). We developed a local food composition table suitable for families with children and intend to explore the possible nutritional risk and needs for low-income families (n=30) compared to middle-income families (n=210). The average frequency of shopping for food was 3 times per week, and the most influential persons for family food intake were mothers (46%) and children (26%). The low-income families had more frequent food security worries than middle-income families (72 versus 10 times/year, respectively) and provided significantly fewer dairy products, fruits and fish in daily meals. From 24-h recalls, parents had significantly higher alcohol intake in low-income families than middle-income families. From CFFQ, fathers had consistently strong associations for calcium and iron with daughters (r=0.34, 0.30) and sons (r=0.28, 0.30); however mothers had strong associations for vitamin B1 and vitamin B2 with daughters (r=0.21, 0.24) and sons (r=0.25, 0.27). Issues of food insecurity and disadvantages in nutrient consumption are of concern for low-income families in urbanized Taiwan.