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Table 2 Mean dietary diversity score (DDS) and percent adults having consumed an item from the food groups, according to geographic area

From: How diverse is the diet of adult South Africans?

 

Geographic area

RSA

 

Urban, formal

Urban, informal

Tribal

Rural,

All

Sample size

2024

309

599

355

3287

Mean DDS

4.42 [A]

3.46 [B]

3.17 [C]

3.64 [B]

4.02

95%CIa

4.34 - 4.50

3.30 - 3.61

3.05 - 3.29

3.46 - 3.81

3.96 - 4.07

Percent of adults consuming at least one item from the following groups (CIa):

1.Cereals/roots/tubers

100b

100

100

100

99.7 9

 

99 - 100

99 - 100

100 - 100

99 - 100

99.5-99.

2.Vitamin A rich fruit and vegetables

18

17

14

14

17

 

16 - 20

12 - 21

12 - 17

11 - 18

15 - 18

3.Other fruit- not vitamin A-rich

33***

16

9

15

25

 

31 - 36

12 - 19

7 - 11

9 - 20

24 -27

4.Other Vegetables

54*

45

51

50

52

 

51 - 56

39 - 51

46 - 56

43 - 57

50 - 54

5.Legumes & nuts

16**

18

23

17

18

 

14 - 18

14 - 22

20 - 26

13 - 20

16 - 19

6.Fats & oils

42***

0.29

26

42

38

 

40 - 45

24 - 35

22 - 31

36 - 48

36 -40

7. Meat/poultry/fish

89***

66

55

65

78

 

88 - 91

60 - 72

50 - 59

59 - 70

77 - 80

8.Dairy

70***

39

27

45

56

 

67 - 72

34 - 44

24 - 31

39 - 51

55 - 58

9. Eggs

20***

17

11

17

18

 

18 - 22

12 - 21

8 - 14

13 - 21

16 - 19

  1. a CI= Confidence interval selected because of data being stratified; b = 99% and 100 = 100% of people consumed from the cereal group
  2. [A]; [B] and [C]: different symbols indicate which mean DDS values (comparing the four geographical areas) are significantly different, Bonferroni multiple comparison test, p < 0.05.
  3. * Significant relationship between geographic group and whether or not subjects consume food from a specific group, Chi-square test, p < 0.05.
  4. **Significant relationship between geographic group and whether or not subjects consume food from a specific group, Chi-square test, p < 0.01.
  5. ***Significant relationship between geographic group and whether or not subjects consume food from a specific group, Chi-square test, p < 0.001.