STUDY OF FOOD PATTERN, BY USING GROUP DISCUSSION METHOD, IN MOROCCAN RURAL POPULATION

Background and objectives: It is now well established that nutritional factors are the major determinants of food behavior and the emergence of chronic diseases. In Morocco, there is no data on food behavior in rural population as Moroccan population now is in epidemiological transition. This research aims to study the food pattern in rural population (Bani Zeroual) of Taounate region. Methods: We used a well-known analysis method: Focus Groups (FG) to determine all items that may be characteristics of this population. Also we have assessed the diet over a period of three to five days during which the respondent is asked to recall and describe all food and drinks consumed in the 24 hour prior to the interview Results: The data obtained showed that the Mediterranean diet was not the diet commonly followed by the whole population studied. Moreover, the phenomenon of nutritional transition whose specificity in Bani Zeroual population is the maintenance of certain traditional foods such as cereals and vegetables in addition to the introduction of westernized foods such as dairy products. These profiles were associated with the socio-demographic characteristics of individuals Conclusions: It becomes clear that the use of focus groups is an effective tool for studying the behavior of food and health status of a population. Therefore, focus groups can be used not only for Behavioral Study Food and health status of a population, but also in other areas. At the end of this study, this method of idea generation: FG can be an "indicative" diagnostic tool for the behavior of food and the health status of a population that can act as a "smoke detector ". Subsequently, the obstacles and problems detected are to be verified and confirmed by conventional diagnostic methods of 24 recall and frequency questionnaire.