Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, Canada.
BMC Public Health. 2018 Nov 14;18(1):1257. doi: 10.1186/s12889-018-6162-6.
Men of low socioeconomic position (SEP) are less likely than those of higher SEP to consume fruits and vegetables, and more likely to eat processed discretionary foods. Education level is a widely used marker of SEP. Few studies have explored determinants of socioeconomic inequalities in men's eating behaviours. The present study aimed to explore intrapersonal, social and environmental factors potentially contributing to educational inequalities in men's eating behaviour.
Thirty Australian men aged 18-60 years (15 each with tertiary or non-tertiary education) from two large metropolitan sites (Melbourne, Victoria; and Newcastle, New South Wales) participated in qualitative, semi-structured, one-on-one telephone interviews about their perceptions of influences on their and other men's eating behaviours. The social ecological model informed interview question development, and data were examined using abductive thematic analysis.
Themes equally salient across tertiary and non-tertiary educated groups included attitudes about masculinity; nutrition knowledge and awareness; 'moralising' consumption of certain foods; the influence of children on eating; availability of healthy foods; convenience; and the interplay between cost, convenience, taste and healthfulness when choosing foods. More prominent influences among tertiary educated men included using advanced cooking skills but having relatively infrequent involvement in other food-related tasks; the influence of partner/spouse support on eating; access to healthy food; and cost. More predominant influences among non-tertiary educated men included having fewer cooking skills but frequent involvement in food-related tasks; identifying that 'no-one' influenced their diet; having mobile worksites; and adhering to food budgets.
This study identified key similarities and differences in perceived influences on eating behaviours among men with lower and higher education levels. Further research is needed to determine the extent to which such influences explain socioeconomic variations in men's dietary intakes, and to identify feasible strategies that might support healthy eating among men in different socioeconomic groups.
社会经济地位（SEP）较低的男性比社会经济地位较高的男性更不可能食用水果和蔬菜，而更有可能食用加工随意食品。教育水平是社会经济地位的广泛标志。很少有研究探讨男性饮食行为的社会经济不平等的决定因素。本研究旨在探讨可能导致男性饮食行为中教育不平等的内在、社会和环境因素。
本研究从两个大都市地点（维多利亚州墨尔本和新南威尔士州纽卡斯尔）招募了 30 名年龄在 18-60 岁之间的澳大利亚男性（每组 15 人，分别具有高等教育或非高等教育背景），他们参加了关于他们对自身和其他男性饮食行为影响的看法的定性、半结构化、一对一的电话访谈。社会生态模型为访谈问题的发展提供了信息，使用归纳主题分析方法检查了数据。
在高等教育和非高等教育背景的男性群体中，主题同样突出，包括对男性气质的态度；营养知识和意识；对某些食物“道德化”消费；孩子对饮食的影响；健康食品的可获得性；便利性；以及在选择食物时成本、便利性、口味和健康之间的相互作用。在高等教育背景的男性中更突出的影响因素包括使用高级烹饪技能但相对较少参与其他与食物相关的任务；伴侣/配偶支持对饮食的影响；获得健康食品的机会；以及成本。在非高等教育背景的男性中更突出的影响因素包括烹饪技能较少但经常参与与食物相关的任务；认为“没有人”影响他们的饮食；拥有移动工作场所；并遵守食品预算。
本研究确定了具有较低和较高教育水平的男性对饮食行为的感知影响的关键相似点和不同点。需要进一步研究以确定这些影响在多大程度上解释了男性饮食摄入的社会经济差异，并确定支持不同社会经济群体男性健康饮食的可行策略。
