Factors affecting food behavior and the quality of husbands' and wives' diets.

One hundred sixteen husband-wife couples were interviewed to determine: (a) The influence of socioeconomic factors on their food behavior and (b) the relationship between these factors and the quality of their diets. According to the respondents, important sources of influence were: Personal preference, as determined by concern for taste and nutrition; influences of the immediate family; and cost. Factors external to the family, i.e., nutrition courses, the mass media, and reference groups, were perceived as having only slight influence. Factors which were significantly related to a better diet included the influence of the wife, a concern for personal and family health, nutrition classes, and nutritional information from the mass media.