Cultural and sex differences in dietary patterns of the urban elderly.

A group of 182 elderly subjects (91 females, 91 males; 94 blacks, 88 whites) were interviewed with respect to background data, dietary habits, and health variables. Analysis of variance showed race and sex differences with respect to meal patterns and quality of diet. In addition, correlational analyses revealed associations between quality of diet and social class, education, health status, and the smoking of cigarettes. Associations were strongest for the black subjects.