Dairy consumption in Chile: comparison by gender, age, geographic area and socioeconomic level, and barriers associated to intake

Objective: the main objective was to characterize dairy consumption by gender, age, geographic area, and socioeconomic status (SES). Additionally, the following secondary objectives were established: a) to identify the main barriers to dairy consumption, b) to compare intake with Chilean dietary guidelines, and c) to analyze the consumption of dairy beverages among older adults Methods: cross-sectional study. An on-line questionnaire was applied at national level, previously validated according to the content validity index. This survey included type and frequency of dairy consumption and main consumption barriers. In addition, sociodemographic and lifestyle background. Results: a total of 2008 people participated in the study, the average age was 39.4 ± 15.8 years and 55.5 % were female. Likewise, 46.9 %, 53.7 % and 87 % belonged to the group < 35 years, central zone, and low/middle SES, respectively. The most consumed dairy products were: cheese (83.3 %), milk (76.2 %) and yogurt (73.7 %); 23.7 % of the sample reached the consumption recommendations. Women presented higher consumption of milk, yogurt, cheese, goat milk, lactose-free milk, homemade yogurt and kefir (p < 0.05), while men reported higher consumption of cheese and milk-based desserts (p < 0.05). Older people and people with a low SES presented the lowest prevalence of consumption compliance. The main barriers for not consuming dairy products were: having lactose intolerance, unpleasant taste, considering them harmful to health and preferring to obtain nutrients from other foods. Consumption of dairy beverages in older people reached 37 %. Conclusion: cheese was the most consumed dairy product, followed by milk and yogurt, with consumption differences observed based on gender, age, geographic area, and SES. There was low adherence to the dairy consumption recommendations established in the Chilean dietary guidelines. Lactose intolerance was identified as the main barrier to consumption. Additionally, it was reported that approximately one-third of the older population consumes dairy beverages.