Hostname: page-component-89b8bd64d-j4x9h Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-05-11T10:29:56.494Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Monitoring food and nutrient availability in a nationally representative sample of Bolivian households

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 March 2007

F.J. Armando Pérez-Cueto ,
Androniki Naska ,
Javier Monterrey ,
Magaly Almanza-Lopez ,
Antonia Trichopoulou  and
Patrick Kolsteren
F.J. Armando Pérez-Cueto*
Affiliation:
Prince Leopold Institute of Tropical MedicineNutrition Unit, Nationalestraat 155, 2000 AntwerpBelgium University of GentLaboratory of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Gent, Belgium
Androniki Naska
Affiliation:
University of AthensDepartment of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Mikras Asias 75, 11527 AthensGreece
Javier Monterrey
Affiliation:
Bolivian National Institute of Statistics, La PazBolivia
Magaly Almanza-Lopez
Affiliation:
Asociación de Promoción, Investigación y Acción Social para el Desarrollo, Casilla 351, La PazBolivia
Antonia Trichopoulou
Affiliation:
University of AthensDepartment of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Mikras Asias 75, 11527 AthensGreece
Patrick Kolsteren
Affiliation:
Prince Leopold Institute of Tropical MedicineNutrition Unit, Nationalestraat 155, 2000 AntwerpBelgium University of GentLaboratory of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Gent, Belgium
*
*Corresponding author: fax + 32 3 247 62 98, email aperezcueto@itg.be
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the 'Save PDF' action button.

The study objective was to estimate food and nutrient availability in Bolivian households using data from the nationally representative under the Programme for the household surveys undertaken yearly from 1999 to 2002 Improvement of Surveys and the Measurement of Living Conditions in Latin America and the Caribbean (MECOVI). In the present study, we analysed data from four repeated, cross-sectional surveys and applied European Data Food Networking (DAFNE) methodology for post-harmonising the data. Raw data of 19 483 households in Bolivia (3035 in 1999, 4857 in 2000, 5845 in 2001 and 5746 in 2002) were retrieved from the databases of the national household surveys. Results showed that the Bolivian diet is characterised by higher availability of foods of plant origin (cereals, fruits, potatoes and vegetables). Meat, milk and their products follow in the dietary preferences of Bolivians. Disparities in food availability within the country were also observed. Rural households systematically recorded lower amounts of food available, in comparison with the urban ones. Households of higher social status recorded higher availability values for all food groups, except for potatoes and cereals. Findings suggest that Bolivian households of lower socio-economic status prefer energy-dense and cheaper food sources. We concluded the dietary and socio-demographic data collected in the MECOVI household surveys could serve nutrition surveillance purposes. In addition, the application of DAFNE methodology for post-harmonising the data allows both national and international comparisons.

Keywords

BoliviaNutritional transitionFood availabilityFood securityHousehold surveys

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 95 , Issue 3 , March 2006 , pp. 555 - 567
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2006

References

Antezana, MSeguridad Alimentaria en Pando La Paz, Bolivia: Fundación PIEB 2001Google Scholar
Beghin, I, Maire, B, Kolsteren, P & Delpeuch, F 2002 La surveillance nutritionnelle: 25 ans aprés (Nutritional monitoring: 25 years after). Cahiers Santé 12, 112–116Google Scholar
Bonifacj, C, Gerber, M, Scali, J & Daures, JP 1997 Comparison of dietary assessment methods in a southern French population: use of weighed records, estimated-diet records and a food-frequency questionnaire. Eur J Clin Nutr 51, 217–231CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Caballero, B 2005 A nutrition paradox – underweight and obesity in developing countries. N Engl J Med 352, 1514–1516CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
European Commission The DAFNE Food Classification System. Operationalisation in 16 European Countries. Luxembourg: European Commission 2005Google Scholar
Food and Agriculture Organization Food Balance Sheets. Update of 27 August 2004, accessed April 2005.Google Scholar
Friel, S, Nelson, M, McCormack, K, Kelleher, C & Thriskos, P 2001 Methodological issues using household budget survey expenditure data for individual food availability estimation: Irish experience in the DAFNE pan-European project. DAta Food NEtworking. Public Health Nutr 4, 1143–1147Google ScholarPubMed
James, WP, Nelson, M, Ralph, A & Leather, S 1997 Socioeconomic determinants of health. The contribution of nutrition to inequalities in health. BMJ 314, 1545–1549CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Krokstad, S, Kunst, AE & Westin, S 2002 Trends in health inequalities by educational level in a Norwegian total population study. J Epidemiol Community Health 56, 375–380CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lagiou, P & Trichopoulou, A 2001 The DAFNE initiative: the methodology for assessing dietary patterns across Europe using household budget survey data. Public Health Nutr 4, 1135–1141Google Scholar
Liberatos, P, Link, BG & Kelsey, JL 1988 The measurement of social class in epidemiology. Epidemiol Rev 10, 87–121CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Maxwell, S & Frankenberger, TRHousehold Food Security: Concepts, Indicators, Measurements – A Technical Review. New York and Rome: UNICEF and IFAD 2003Google Scholar
Ministry of Social Forecast and Public Health (1979) Tabla de Composición de Alimentos Bolivianos. La Paz, Bolivia: Ministerio de Previsión Social y Salud Pública.Google Scholar
Monteiro, CA, Conde, WL & Popkin, BM 2004 The burden of disease from undernutrition and overnutrition in countries undergoing rapid nutrition transition: a view from Brazil. Am J Public Health 94, 433–434CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Naska, A, Vasdekis, VG & Trichopoulou, A 2001 A preliminary assessment of the use of household budget survey data for the prediction of individual food consumption. Public Health Nutr 4, 1159–1165Google ScholarPubMed
National Institute of Statistics Encuesta de Seguimiento al Consumo de Alimentos La Paz, Bolivia: Instituto Nacional de Estadística 1995Google Scholar
National Institute of Statistics (1999) Encuesta de Hogares La Paz, Bolivia: Instituto Nacional de Estadística.Google Scholar
National Institute of Statistics Anuario Estadístico 2003. La Paz, Bolivia: Instituto Nacional de Estadística 2004Google Scholar
Perez-Cueto, A, Almanza, M & Kolsteren, P 2005 Female gender and wealth are associated to overweight among adolescents in La Paz.Bolivia. Eur J Clin Nutr 59, 82–87CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Perez-Cueto, FJ & Kolsteren, P 2004 Changes in the nutritional status of Bolivian women 1994–1998: demographic and social predictors. Eur J Clin Nutr 58, 660–666CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Plaza, W, Bello, I & Franco, ISituación Nutricional de lasComunidades Campesinas en Riberalta Fundación La Paz, Bolivia: Fundación PIEB 2002Google Scholar
Popkin, BM 2001 The nutrition transition and obesity in the developing world. J Nutr 131, 871S–873SCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shohaimi, S, Welch, A, Bingham, S, Luben, R, Day, N, Wareham, N & Khaw, KT 2004 Residential area deprivation predicts fruit and vegetable consumption independently of individual educational level and occupational social class: a cross sectional population study in the Norfolk cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPICNorfolk). J Epidemiol Community Health 58, 686–691CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Strand, BH & Tverdal, A 2004 Can cardiovascular risk factors and lifestyle explain the educational inequalities in mortality from ischaemic heart disease and from other heart diseases? 26 year follow up of 50, 000 Norwegian men and women. J Epidemiol Community Health 58, 705–709CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Subar, AF, Thompson, FE, Kipnis, V, Midthune, D, Hurwitz, P, McNutt, S, McIntosh, A & Rosenfeld, S 2001 Comparative validation of the Block. Willett, and National Cancer Institute food frequency questionnaires: the Eating at America's Table Study. Am J Epidemiol 154, 1089–1099CrossRefGoogle Scholar
SVEN Tabla de Composición de Alimentos Bolivianos. La Paz, Bolivia: Ministerio de Previsión Social y Salud Pública 1988Google Scholar
Trichopoulou, A 2001 The DAFNE databank as a simple tool for nutrition policy. DAta Food NEtworking. Public Health Nutr 4, 1187–1198Google ScholarPubMed
Trichopoulou, A, Naska, A & Costacou, T 2002 Disparities in food habits across Europe. Proc Nutr Soc 61, 553–558CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Turrell, G, Blakely, T, Patterson, C & Oldenburg, B 2004 A multilevel analysis of socioeconomic (small area) differences in household food purchasing behaviour. J Epidemiol Community Health 58, 208–215CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed