Investigation of the qualitative characteristics of diets pertaining to different social and economic household categories in Serbia

Abstract

The objective of this study was to analyze the qualitative characteristics of diets of different social and economic household categories (agricultural, mixed and non-agricultural and total) in Serbia in the period 1968-1990. The first part of the paper examines the energetic value of diets. Based on the average daily energetic value it can be concluded that the dietetic habits meet the needs of the population in Serbia. However based on the qualitative analysis of the diet structure it can be concluded that the quality of diets of the population in Serbia was unfavourable. The second part of the paper analyzes the biochemical components of diets, i.e. the human consumption of some basic nutritious elements (protein, fat and carbohydrate intake). Based on the levels established it can be concluded that the human consumption of nutritious elements was satisfactory. However the unfavourable qualitative structure of the elements with respect to their origin (vegetable and animal) implies that the quality of meals consumed by the population in Serbia is unsatisfactory, especially when compared with the diet quality in the OECD member countries. Based on the results obtained it can be concluded that with respect to diet quality the household categories examined are not homogenous.

Na osnovu prosečne dnevne energetske vrednosti (12.637-14.082 KJ) moglo bi se zaključiti da je ishrana stanovništva Srbije (i to svih kategorija domaćinstava) zadovoljavajuća. Međutim, analiza kvalitativne strukture energetske vrednosti pokazuje da je kvalitet ishrane stanovništva Srbije nepovoljan. Naime, učešće biološki visokovrednih proizvoda životinjskog porekla u ukupnoj energetskoj vrednosti ishrane je malo i retko premašuje 30%, dok su među proizvodima biljnog porekla žita osnovni izvor energije, sa učešćem oko 50%. Polazeći od utvrđenih normativa, nivo potrošnje osnovnih hranljivih sastojaka (belančevina, masti, ugljenih hidrata) u Srbiji je zadovoljavajući u svih kategorija domaćinstava. Međutim, nepovoljna struktura ovih elemenata prema poreklu (biljno i životinjsko) takođe ukazuje na nezadovoljavajući kvalitet ishrane stanovništva. Rezultati ispitivanja pokazuju, da u pogledu kvaliteta ishrane, navedene kategorije domaćinstava nisu homogen skup.