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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Sociodemographic characteristics, including regional variations, have been associated
with different food consumption patterns. Behavioral factors and lifestyle variables may also
contribute to different food dietary trends. In this way, the present study intended to investigate
the consumption habits of the most relevant types of dairy products around the world and relate
them to sociodemographic factors, for example, age, sex, education and country as well as with
some anthropometric and behavioral aspects, for example, body mass index, satisfaction with body
weight and exercise or sedentary lifestyles. One other objective of the study was to categorize the
lifestyles of the participants, according to measured variables linked with hours of inactivity or
exercise, in order to use these as possible differentiating variables for the consumption of dairy
products. The study involved a questionnaire survey undertaken on a non-probabilistic convenience
sample of participants from Portugal (PT) and Brazil (BR), and participation was voluntary and
anonymous. The data analysis involved different statistical techniques: basic statistics, chi-square
tests, factor analysis, cluster analysis and tree classification analysis. The results showed that semi
skimmed milk is never consumed by about half of the participants (47.4% for PT and 46.7 for BR),
and those numbers increase for skimmed (64.8% for PT and 50.9% for BR), chocolate flavored milk
(82.6% for PT and 65.6% for BR) and enriched milks (94.8% for PT and 85.3% for BR). Cheeses are also
consumed in the two countries by small numbers of people. The number of participants consuming
imported cheeses in both countries was particularly low (only 4.0% consume these more than once a
week in both countries), suggesting national products may be preferred. It was further observed that
those who consume cheese do it seldom (once a week) or sometimes (2–3 times per week). Butter is
also consumed by only about half of the adult population (43.8% for PT and 49.5% for BR), but the
percentage of those who never consume butter increases for skimmed butter (66.0% for PT and 82.6%
for BR) and unsalted butter (70.2% for PT and 69.1% for BR). The consumption of yogurts also follows
similar low consumption patterns. The most frequently consumed yogurt types in Portugal are
liquid (30.5% consume regularly) and natural yogurts (34.8% consume regularly), while in Brazil
the most frequent are creamy fruit pulp yogurt (14.4% consume regularly), liquid (13.7% consume
regularly) and Greek type yogurt (10.2% consume regularly). A factor analysis and a cluster analysis
established groups according to lifestyles, as follows: 1—Screeners, 2—Exercisers, 3—Travelers and
4—Others. These lifestyles were found to be influential in the consumption of dairy products for all
classes of dairy tested: milk, cheese, yogurt and butter. For example, the screeners were found to
consume more milk, more butter, more cheese and more yogurt. Additionally, other influential factors
were age, sex, education, BMI and satisfaction with body weight. Nevertheless, country was not a
meaningfully discriminant variable in relation to the other variables included in the classificationanalysis. The results concluded that, despite some small differences in the patterns of consumption
of dairy products in both countries, the levels of consumption of dairy products are extremely low,
for all classes studied (milk, cheese, yogurt or butter). Additionally, it was concluded that some
factors are influential on the level of consumption of dairy products, and therefore decision makers
can plan their interventions according to the characteristics of the targeted segments of the population,
according to lifestyle, age, sex, education, BMI and satisfaction with body weight.
Description
Keywords
milk cheese butter yogurt questionnaire survey
Pedagogical Context
Citation
Guiné RPF, Florença SG, Carpes S, Anjos O (2020) Study of the Influence of Sociodemographic and Lifestyle Factors on Consumption of Dairy Products: Preliminary Study in Portugal and Brazil. Foods, 9(12), 1775: 1-28.