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=Volume 9 - 2022

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 1002 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) were slightly more females, slightly older and with a lower level of education. They consumed less fish (23 g vs 26 g), fruiting vegetables (87 g vs 102 g), nuts (6 g vs 9 g) and less “ready to eat” dishes (29 g vs 33 g). A Random Forest (RF) model was used to identify a dietary pattern associated with social deprivation. This pattern included 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 also in areas of the Mediterranean Sea social deprivation and diet is associated with a tendency to consume less healthy foods.