Consumption Levels of Whole Grains and Refined Foods in the Urban Population in Oran, Algeria

Background and Aim: The aim of this study is to assess the level of consumption of whole grains and refined foods in the urban population in Oran. The population (n = 100, W / M = 71/29), of different age groups, living in the city of Oran, participated in this study. The weight, height, waist circumference and hip circumference of the population are measured.
Method: The state of health, socioeconomic level, physical activity (daily and sports), eating habits and cereal consumption are assessed using appropriate questionnaires. Also a frequency table is proposed, containing the cereal products (complete and refined) most consumed and available nationally.
Results: The results show that the prevalence of obesity is 13% (53% men and 47% women), The majority of the population studied (73%) does not present any chronic disease, whereas the remaining 27% are mainly people suffering from T2DM and / or hypertension. The socio-economic survey indicates that only (33%) of the population work. the surveyed population takes the four main meals of the day. The study of the consumption of cereals shows that the whole population consumes cereals and cereal products. However, the criteria for choosing the latter are mainly taste (70%), brand (64%) and price (43%) while just a small part of the population prefers to buy healthy cereal products (21%). The evaluation of the frequency of consumption of cereal products shows that most of the people surveyed prefer to consume refined products (white bread, white rice, refined couscous, etc.) compared to whole grains.
Conclusion: In conclusion, the results obtained show that cereal products occupy an important place in the diet of the population; however those based on whole seeds are poorly consumed by the population.