Social inequality

This study aims to examine dietary patterns of the Swiss population and their trends over time using objective measurements of food intake at the individual level. It further establishes whether socioeconomic differences determine unhealthy behaviour (unhealthy eating, smoking, binge drinking and physical inactivity) in socially disadvantaged fractions of the population.

Fat-rich, energy-dense diets or diets with a high content in refined carbohydrates are considered to be among the main drivers of the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer and obesity. The dietary intake of the Swiss population appears to be far from optimal. Recent work conducted in our team indicates that adherence to nutritional guidelines is low. Individuals in the most disadvantaged sections of society tend to have worse dietary behaviours than individuals in higher socioeconomic groups, leading to wide socioeconomic differences in diet-related chronic diseases. The objectives of our study are: 1) To describe current dietary patterns of the Swiss population and 2) To explore socio-economic determinants of eating habits. Data from several population-based surveys (CoLaus study in Lausanne, Bus Santé in Geneva and the Swiss National Nutrition Survey) will be used.

Due to the scarcity of dietary data in Switzerland, the epidemiological, social and scientific impact of this study is high.
The new generated data (dietary quality, dietary patterns…) can be further used in other studies focusing on other variables of interest such as genetic markers (gene × diet interaction) or lifestyle measures (physical activity). Hence, this study has a considerable potential to continue unraveling important information regarding nutrition determinants and their health impact in Switzerland.

Dietary intake in the Swiss French-speaking population: Socio-economic determinants of dietary intake in the Swiss French-speaking population