South African Social Attitudes Survey (SASAS) 2009: Questionnaire 2 NutritionA - All provinces

Description:
Dietary diversity in adults aged 16 years and older in South Africa. Topics included in the questionnaire are the household schedule, nutrition, respondent characteristics, household characteristics, personal and household income.

The data set contains 3307 cases and 214 variables.
Abstract:
The objective of the current study was to measure dietary diversity in South Africans aged 16 years and older from all population groups as a proxy of food security.

A cross-sectional study representative of adults from all specified ages, provinces, geographic localities, and socio-economic strata in South Africa was used. Trained interviewers visited participants at their homes during the survey. Dietary data was collected by means of a face validated 24 hour recall which was not quantified. A dietary diversity score (DDS) was calculated by counting each of 9 food groups. A DDS <4 was regarded as reflecting poor dietary diversity and poor food security.

Overall the majority of South Africans consumed a diet low in dietary variety. The tribal areas and informal urban areas were worst affected and eggs, legumes and vitamin A rich fruit and vegetables, were the least consumed.