Abstract
In recent years, health disparities have been reported. In this study, we focused on health-related lifestyles, particularly dietary habits. We proposed a hypothesis that social/geographic and financial （income） factors regarding access to food influence dietary habits. Concerning the geographic factors, to determine the relationship between the distance from home to grocery stores and kinds of food consumed, we investigated 5,300 elderly residents from 6 municipalities who lived alone as of 2013. Preliminary analysis of one municipality revealed that men but not women, living far from grocery stores showed lower food diversity scores. Regarding the financial factors, we re-analyzed the results of the National Health and Nutrition Survey, which clarified that adults with a lower annual income consumed more cereals and less vegetables, fish, and shellfish. We found that individuals with a lower income regarded the price and amount as important when buying food, with less importance on the taste, nutrition, or production site. A survey of households with children suggested that poorer households had often been unable to buy food for financial reasons. It is necessary to conduct more studies to clarify disparities in dietary habits.
