AUTHOR=Tatoli Rossella , Lampignano Luisa , Donghia Rossella , Castellana Fabio , Zupo Roberta , Bortone Ilaria , De Nucci Sara , Campanile Giuseppe , Lofù Domenico , Vimercati Luigi , Lozupone Madia , De Pergola Giovanni , Panza Francesco , Giannelli Gianluigi , Di Noia Tommaso , Boeing Heiner , Sardone Rodolfo TITLE=Dietary Customs and Social Deprivation in an Aging Population From Southern Italy: A Machine Learning Approach JOURNAL=Frontiers in Nutrition VOLUME=9 YEAR=2022 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.811076 DOI=10.3389/fnut.2022.811076 ISSN=2296-861X ABSTRACT=Background

Diet and social determinants influence the state of human health. In older adults, the presence of social, physical and psychological barriers increases the probability of deprivation. This study investigated the relationship between social deprivation and eating habits in non-institutionalized older adults from Southern Italy, and identified foods and dietary habits associated with social deprivation.

Methods

We recruited 1,002 subjects, mean age 74 years, from the large population based Salus in Apulia Study. In this cross-sectional study, eating habits and the level of deprivation were assessed with FFQ and DiPCare-Q, respectively.

Results

Deprived subjects (n = 441) included slightly more females, who were slightly older and with a lower level of education. They consumed less fish (23 vs. 26 g), fruiting vegetables (87 vs. 102 g), nuts (6 vs. 9 g) and less “ready to eat” dishes (29 vs. 33 g). A Random Forest (RF) model was used to identify a dietary pattern associated with social deprivation. This pattern included an increased consumption of low-fat dairy products and white meat, and a decreased consumption of wine, leafy vegetables, seafood/shellfish, processed meat, red meat, dairy products, and eggs.

Conclusion

The present study showed that social factors also define diet and eating habits. Subjects with higher levels of deprivation consume cheaper and more readily available food.