Socio-demographic and lifestyle determinants of dietary patterns in French-speaking Switzerland, 2009–2012

BACKGROUND: Food intake is a complex behaviour which can be assessed using dietary patterns. Our aim was to characterize dietary patterns and associated factors in French-speaking Switzerland. METHODS: Cross-sectional study conducted between 2009 and 2012 in the city of Lausanne, Switzerland, including 4372 participants (54% women, 57.3 ± 10.3 years). Food consumption was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Dietary patterns were assessed by principal components analysis. RESULTS: Three patterns were identified: "Meat "Fruits smoking status was inversely associated with the "Fruits the information on socio- demographic determinants allows targeting of the most vulnerable groups in the context of public health interventions.