Title: Affordability influences seafood consumption among income and race/ethnicity groups in the United States

Speaker: Dr. Dave Love (Johns Hopkins University)

Host: Dr. Sook Chung

Abstract: 

The 2020 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that the U.S. population consume more seafood. Most analyses of seafood consumption ignore heterogeneity in consumption patterns by species, nutritional content, production methods, and price, which have implications for applying recommendations. We assessed seafood intake among adults by socio-economic and demographic groups using NHANES, as well as the cost of seafood at retail using Nielsen point- of-sale data to identify affordable and nutritious options. Multivariable linear regression assessed the association between seafood consumption and income, adjusted for age, sex, and race/ethnicity, and the association between nutrients and seafood price adjusted for sales volume. Retail seafood costs more than other protein foods. Low-income adults had i) less intake of all seafood compared with high-income adults; ii) less intake of seafood rich in long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs); and iii) a smaller share of seafood rich in n-3 PUFAs as a percent of total seafood intake. Intake rates, species, and production method choices varied by race/ethnicity groups and within race/ethnicity groups by income. Retail seafood is available in a wide range of price points and product forms, and some lower-cost fish were high in n-3 PUFAs such as mackerel and herring. New insights into the relationship between seafood affordability and consumption patterns among income and ethnicity groups suggest that specific policies and interventions may be needed to enhance the consumption of seafood by different groups.

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