Urban and rural: differences in the diet of Argentine households according to income level and area of residence

The environment and the socioeconomic level are determinants of eating behavior because they affect availability, accessibility and food preferences. In order to describe the apparent consumption of food and the availability of energy and nutrients in urban and rural households in Argentina according to their income level, the 2004-2005 National Household Expenditure Survey was analyzed. The average apparent consumption of food and beverages was calculated in grams or milliliters of net weight per adult equivalent per day, for urban and rural households, and by household income per capita quintiles. Rural households made up 7% of the sample, and had a higher proportion of low-income families than urban households. There is different pattern of apparent consumption of food and beverages among rural and urban households in Argentina, and there are also differences between households according to the level of income in both environments. Knowing the content and magnitude of these contrasts is of great use in looking for strategies to improve the population's diet.