Table 2.

Sociodemographic characteristics of the total sample and in each dinner preparation category^*; National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007–2008

		Frequency of cooking dinner at home each week
	Total sample	% of US population
	% of US population	Never cook (0–1)	Sometimes cook (2–5)	Always cook (6–7)
Total (%)	100	8·0	43	49
Federal poverty level† (%)
<130 %	24	30	15	32
130–350 %	35	38	35	35
>350 %	41	32	51	33
Education† (%)
<9th grade	7·1	5·8	2·8	11
9th–11th grade	13	16	10	16
High-school graduate or GED	26	29	24	27
Some college or Associate's degree	28	30	32	25
College graduate or above	25	18	31	22
Gender† (%)
Male	45	48	43	47
Female	55	52	57	53
Age† (%)
18–25 years	7·5	18	7·8	5·6
26–45 years	45	36	47	45
46–65 years	34	28	36	33
>65 years	13	18	9·0	16
Race/ethnicity† (%)
White	66	59	72	63
Black	12	23	14	9·4
Hispanic	15	15	10	20
Other	6·2	3·2	5·0	7·8
Country of birth† (%)
USA	18	14	9·9	25
Foreign born	82	86	90	75
Living with a partner† (%)
No	30	58	30	26
Yes	70	42	70	74
Living with dependants† (%)
No	29	49	29	25
Yes	71	51	71	75
Household food security† (%)
Very low	4·2	5·9	3·6	4·5
Low	9·3	5·2	7·7	11
Marginal	8·0	7·4	5·5	10
Full	79	81	83	74

GED, general equivalency degree.

^*All analyses were completed with appropriate weighting, taking into account the complex survey design of NHANES 2007–2008.

^†Differences in the percentage of the sociodemographic group present in each dinner category were significant at P < 0·001 by the Wald χ ² test.