| Sumario: | Data on socio-demographic variations in Australian dietary patterns are scarce, particularly in regional and rural Australia. For this study, a systematic sample (n = 1088, response rate 82%) of people aged 20 to 70 years on electoral rolls for the north and north-west regions of Tasmania completed written questionnaires, indicating, among other things, which of 52 specific foods (covering all major food groups) had been consumed the previous day. Individual-based socio-demographic characteristics were associated significantly (P < 0.01, after adjustment for potentially confounding variables) with consumption of many of these foods: gender (11 foods), age (ten foods) and educational attainment (nine foods). Generally, healthier food choices were found among respondents who were female, older and more educated. Geographically-based socio-demographic characteristics, however, were rarely significantly associated with consumption of specific foods: there were no significant associations with region or the socioeconomic status of the postcode area, and only one food differed in consumption between urban and rural areas. We conclude that, at least in this area, geographically-based socio-demographic characteristics are much less important predictors of dietary patterns than individual-based socio-demographic characteristics.
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