Consumption pattern of lipids and the factors affecting their selection among families in Kermanshah (2011)

Background: Choosing appropriate edible oils and right consumption amounts play an important role in the promotion of public health and prevention of chronic diseases. This study was aimed to evaluate the consumption level of various edible oils and factors affecting their selection among families in Kermanshah.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 500 families selected from six different areas using multi-stage cluster sampling method. Data were collected through face to face interview using a demographic questionnaire and a questionnaire about consumption of different edible oils. Descriptive statistics and regression and chi-square tests were applied  to analyze the data.

Results: The mean of edible oil consumption was 69.75±3.8 g/day per capita, more than half of which (34.7±2.2 g/day) was supplied by hydrogenated fat.  31.4% of total daily energy intake was supplied by lipids from which 15.6% was supplied by hydrogenated fat, that is higher than the recommended level, maximum 10% (P<0.05). There was a positive relationship between socioeconomic status and rising consumption of oils instead of fats (r=0.2, P<0.001). 

Conclusion: This study showed that the daily consumption of hydrogenated fat was higher than half of the lipids consumed by families. Given the complications resulting from saturated fat consumption, decreasing the production of hydrogenated fat and increasing the nutritional knowledge of families through public media and educational programs are highly recommended.