THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FOOD GROUPS and NUTRIENTS USING CANONICAL CORRELATION: HOUSEHOLDS in PUERTO RICO L Mary Y
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THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FOOD GROUPS AND NUTRIENTS USING CANONICAL CORRELATION: HOUSEHOLDS IN PUERTO RICO l Mary Y. Hama, U.S. Department of Agriculture 2 P. Peter Basiotis, u.s. Department of Agriculture The relationship between the quantity of food Modeling nutrient consumption directly is appeal groups and the nutrient availability of the foods ing for several reasons. The method provides an used by households in Puerto Rico was analyzed. opportunity to make direct diet status assessment The study used canonical correlation and canonical and interpersonal diet comparisons. Expressing redundancy analyses to examine the strength of the nutrient consumption as a percentage of the Rec relationship. Results show a close relationship ommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) further facili between the two sets of variables. Findings sug tates assessment and interpersonal comparisons by gest that, although households may make purchasing removing different units of measurement. This decisions based on food groups, modeling general modeling approach, however, rests on the rather food consumption behavior on the basis of nutrient unrealistic assumptions that consumers are well availability should have no appreciable conse aware of the nutrient content of all foods facing quences on the outcome. them in the market place and that it is mostly the nutrient content of the foods (as characteristics) Proper food selection is essential for good health that guides the food consumption decision. High and well-being. In addition, food expenditures correlations among nutrients consumed by house account for a sizeable part of household budgets. holds, or individuals, can make statistical Thus, modeling food consumption or dietary behav estimation problematic because of severe multi ior is an important responsibility of consumer collinearity. Also, this problem may limit the economists. interpretation and usefulness of the results. This s tudy examines the degree of association be The second approach appears to be more realistic, tween food group consumption and nutrient availa especially if one assumes that cons umers have de bility by households. The data come from USDA's cided that, for example, citrus fruits are high in Puerto Rico Nutrition Study 1984, the most re vitamin C and, hence, they explicitly include cit cently available household food consumption survey. rus fruits in their diets, not vitamin C (as a The statistical method employed is that of canon characteristic). Advantages of the food group ical correlation and redundancy analyses. This consumption approach include better availability of technique has not been used extensively in economic data; more relevance to the food industry, includ demand analysis. Rather, simultaneous equation ing agriculture; and easier assessment of diet systems, which incorporate theoretical structures, quality, when diet quality is measured by consump are commonly used. In contrast to simultaneous tion of specific foods. Disadvantages include the equation systems which r elate a set of dependent lack of standardization in definition of food variables to a set of independent variables, canon groups, which often results in incomparability ical correlation analysis can relate two sets of among studies; differences in units of measurement, dependent variables, such as foods and nutrients. which hinder aggregation; difficulty in assessment of nutrient status; and introduction of statistical Traditionally, researchers have followed either of estimation problems when a large portion of the two paths in modeling food consumption or dietary sample reports "O" (zero) intake of a given food levels. The first approach is to model dietary group during the survey period (Tobin 1958). levels directly by relating nutrient levels to so cioeconomic characteristics, income, and (implicit) Obviously, it would be desirable that conclusions prices (Basiotis et al. 1983; Eastwood et al. 1986; reached by employing either modeling approach be Morgan 1986). In the second approach, dietary identical in substance. Furthermore, it would be levels are modeled indirectly by relating food or useful to be able t o derive implications for both food group intakes to sociodemographic character food group and nutrient consumption. istics, income, and prices (Davis 1982; Morgan et al. 1985; Tufts et al. 1987). Selection of the modeling approach has rested with the researcher's DATA AND VARIABLES scientific and philosophical background, specific purpose of the analysis, theoretical framework used, The source of data used in this study was the and data availability. Choice of modeling approach Puerto Rico Nutrition Survey 1984 . This survey can materially influence the outcome of such was conducted from August through December 1984 by research. Furthermore, different specifications National Analysts, a Division of Booz, Allen, & may contribute to varying results (Morgan 1986). Hamilton, under contract with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) . ~ Economist, Human Nutrition Information Service. The Puerto Rico Nutrition Study 1984 provided de Economist, Human Nutrition Information Service. tailed information on the food used by 2,424 house Also, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of holds from which food consumption, money value of Textiles and Consumer Economics, University of food, quantity of food, and nutritional levels of Maryland. the household food supply may be appraised. House hold characteristics included income, age of house- 63 hold members, household composition, education and Household food consumption reported in this survey employment of the heads, participation in food pro was measured at the level at which food comes into grams, and other factors that might affect food the kitchen ("household" ). It was food that dis consumption. A summary description of these char appeared from household supplies during the survey ac te ris tics is given in Table 1. Only 2,180 are week, whether eaten, discarded, or leftovers fed to presented on this table because the remaining 244 animals. Thus, the data should be interpreted as (10 percent) had missing values--primarily income, consumption in the economic, rather than the physi ological, context. Information on food used by surveyed households was obtained in an interview with the person iden Measurement of Food Quantity tified as most respons ible for food planning and preparation. Trained Puerto Rican interviewers The foods reported in this study were grouped by used an aided-recall questionnaire schedule and nutritional content or by main ingredient content. recorded the kind (such as ground beef and skim For example, the milk group consists of fresh fluid milk), the form (such as fresh, canned or frozen), milk, processed milk products (such as cheese), the quantity, and cost, if purchased, of each food cream and cream substitutes, frozen desserts con and beverage used in the household during the 7 taining milk, mixtures with milk as the main ingre days prior to the interview. Respondents also dient (such as cream of mushroom soup and cheese reported the number of meals eaten from home food cake), The food quantity measure, expressed in supplies during the week by household members and pounds, was the weight of food used by hous ehold others. Households were contacted at least 7 days during the survey week. The food groups used for before the interview and asked to keep informal this study were the following: notes, such as shopping lists, menus, and grocery receipts to assist them in reca lling the food used (1) milk, milk products (5) fruits during the 7-day period, The questionnaire was (2) meat, poultry, fish (6) grain, grain products printed in both Spanish and English to accommodate (3) other high-protein (7) fats and oils the respondent's preference. food (8) miscellaneous (4) vegetables Table !.--Selected Characteristics of Households in Puerto Rico 1984 Household Unit All Urbanization Characteristic of House- Central Sub- Non- Measure holds City urban metro- olitan Total hous eholds Number 2,180 586 335 1,256 Household size, 21-meal at-home-equiv. person Number 3.38 3.05 3.29 3.56 Money value of food at home per household in a week Dollars 77.72 73 .42 80.96 78 .86 Expense for food away from home per household in a week Dollars 12,47 15.06 15.24 10.53 Money income before taxes, previous year: Under $5,000 Percent 42 33 28 50 $5,000-$9,999 Percent 27 25 29 28 $10,000-$14,999 Percent 13 16 15 10 $15,000-$19,999 Percent 8 11 11 6 $20,000 and over Percent 10- 14 18 6 Me an income Dollars 8,884 11, 277 11,680 7,027 Tenure: Owned Percent 78 63 79 85 Rented for cash Percent 18 32 17 11 Occupied without rent Percent 4 5 4 4 Status in Nutrition Assistance Program: Participating Percent 37 26 24 46 Not participating Percent 63 74 76 54 Mean NAP income, month Dollars 58 . 27 39.85 36.91 72 .79 64 The last group was not used in this study, since Table 2 shows the percentages of households meet it comprised many varied food items of different ing the RDA for food energy and nutrients, These weights with varying nutritional value when meas percentages are compared with those from a similar ured in per p.ound-basis (such as powdered beverage s urvey conducted in the spring of 1977 f or the 48 mixes and ready-to-drink beverages), The quanti conterminous States (USDA 1985). Fewer households ties of food used were converted to nutritive val in Puerto Rico (less than 87 percent) met the RDA ues of food, and the values of each nutrient in for food energy,