INVOLVEMENT OF SOCIAL AND GENDER ASPECTS IN THE CHOICE OF NUTRITION

Background and objectives: There are few studies about sociocultural aspects which origin are in some food behaviour, in this particular case of women. Future studies will be required to introduce the routine demanded by dietary advice in every day life. Determine the causes that lead to women to decide their diet. Methods: Transversal descriptive study consisted of 38,455 women, of which we selected by random sampling a proportional and representative sample of 500 women, aged between 40 and 60 years. These women are subjected to an own design questionnaire, with socioeconomic, demographic variables, and some of them related with attitutes and lifestyles. We took aspects of the image body shape questionnaire of Cooper et al., (1987) and eating attitudes test of Garner et al., (1982), which we added others of interests for us. Results: Firstly we consider of the women: Economy 45.53%, Children and/or couple preferences 14.35%, Fashion style 9%, Ease of study preparation 9%, Health 4.46%, Other reasons (esthetic among them) 26.66% 98.19 % of women are responsible for family diet. 80.4 % of women recognizes that they eat things that are not in their interest, even though they know that it is so, conditioned by the above issues. 93.69% of women of the sample consider of interest to receive in diet topics. Conclusions: Family economy is the first reason that determines the choice. Nowadays, related with the economic crisis. About the other reasons, the main is pleasing children and couple. Fullfilling the women role to assume nutrition responsibility, that exclusively falls on them. Meaning satisfaction of all, although that may condition that the feeding of the women themselves distract from what is convenient, with consequences of their health.