Table 6.

Reproductive-age women’s food practices in rural and urban areas of Sri Lanka (N = 400).

Variables	Rural	Urban	Total	Mean ± SD
Type of diet practice
• Traditional Sri Lankan diet	187	23	210	0.11 ± 0.313 *
• Fried food	13	162	175	0.93 ± 0.263 *
• Wheat products	0	15	15	1.00 ± 0.000 *
What do you usually eat for your main meal?
• Different choices	0	3	3	1.00 ± 0.000 *
• Mostly rice and curry	33	19	52	0.37 ± 0.486 *
• Depends on daily income	73	174	247	0.66 ± 0.476 *
• Only rice and curry	94	4	98	0.04 ± 0.196 *
Do you use traditional food flavours?
• Yes	167	63	230	0.25 ± 0.447 *
• No	33	137	170	0.81± 0.393 *
What type of food do you prefer to buy?
• Fresh food	83	5	88	0.06 ± 0.233 *
• Anything	117	112	229	0.49 ± 0.501
• Processed food	0	83	83	1.00 ± 0.000
Daily eating patterns
• Usually, eat breakfast	194	70	264	0.27 ± 0.442 *
• Usually, eat lunch	122	73	195	0.37 ± 0.485 *
• Usually, eat dinner	200	200	400	0.50 ± 0.501
• Usually, eat three times	116	66	182	0.36 ± 0.482 *
Eating habits
• Eating in front of the TV	89	40	129	0.37 ± 0.242 *
• Eating with family members	10	11	21	0.07 ± 0.285
• Eating on the way	25	66	91	0.39 ± 0.501
• Not a special	66	83	149	0.50 ± 0.480 *

Abbreviation: SD = standard deviation; * statistically significant (p < 0.05).