Diet and socioeconomic position: does the use of different indicators matter?

OBJECTIVES: To describe the association of diet and socioeconomic position and to assess whether two different indicators, education and occupation, independently contribute in determining diet.
METHODS: A community-based random sample of men and women residents of Geneva canton, aged 35 to 74, participated in a survey of cardiovascular risk factors conducted annually since 1993. Lifetime occupational and educational history and a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire were obtained from 2929 men and 2767 women.
RESULTS: Subjects from lower education and/or occupation consumed less fish and vegetables but more fried foods, pasta and potatoes, table sugar and beer. Iron, calcium, vitamin A and vitamin D intake were lower in the lower educational and occupational groups. Both indicators significantly contributed to determining a less healthy dietary pattern for those from low social class. The effects of education and occupation on dietary habits were usually additive and synergistic for some food groups.
CONCLUSION: Assessing both education and occupation, improves the description of social class inequalities in dietary habits, as they act, most of the time, as independent factors.