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Southampton Women's Survey reveals that education is the key determinant for 'prudent' diets among young women

May 27, 2003

Research carried out by the Southampton Women's Survey has revealed that young women who attain educational qualifications eat healthier diets than those who are poorly educated. Full details of this research will be presented at FOAD 2003, the Second World Congress on Fetal Origins of Adult Disease, which will take place at Brighton Conference Centre on 7-10 June 2003.

'Education has been identified as the most important single determinant of dietary choice, ranking higher than social class and deprivation,' says Survey co-ordinator Dr Hazel Inskip. 'This may be because education empowers women and allows them to make informed choices about a "prudent" diet of plenty of fruit and vegetables and limited fat, crisps and sweets, as opposed to unhealthier options.'

The Southampton Women's Survey is a groundbreaking study of the health of young women prior to pregnancy and the only study in the western world to study babies from before conception into childhood. For the 'prudent' diet study researchers assessed the diet and lifestyle of 6125 non-pregnant women aged 20-34, along with a wide range of educational achievements and living conditions.

This group of women forms part of the total 12,000 young women recruited by the Survey as part of an initiative to link a mother's body size, shape, diet and hormone levels to her baby's growth in early pregnancy. As a mother's nutritional status is a major factor in the growth of the fetus, the 'prudent' diet research aims to provide more information on the dietary habits of young women so that adjustments can be recommended prior to pregnancy.

In the 'prudent' diet research, interviews were conducted with the 6125 women who were recruited from 19 GP practices in the western part of Southampton between April 1998 and June 2000. One hundred foods were listed in a food frequency questionnaire and divided into 49 groups and women were questioned on their eating of these foods and on 25 other factors, such as age, body mass index, height, education, social position, household characteristics, smoking, alcohol use and physical activity.

The research revealed that educational attainment was the most important single determinant of 'prudent' dietary scores and that 55 per cent of women with no qualifications had scores in the lowest quarter, compared with only three per cent of those with a degree. Women with lower scores ate less fruit and vegetables, rice and pasta, fish and wholemeal bread, but more crisps and sweets, cakes and biscuits, red and processed meat, chips and roast potatoes, sugar and sugary drinks and white bread. Smoking, watching TV, avoiding strenuous exercise and living with children were also associated with lower scores. After taking these factors into account, the scores were unrelated to social class, the deprivation score of the neighbourhood, or receipt of means-tested benefits.

'Amongst these women many have diets that do not conform to current recommendations,' comments Dr Hazel Inskip. 'This may have adverse effects not only on their own health, but on the health of their children, born and unborn. We suggest that it is a priority to provide these women with readily accessible information on the choice, purchase, preparation and cooking of a better diet.'

Southampton, University of