Food variety, dietary diversity, and food characteristics among convenience samples of Guatemalan women

objective: to compare variety and diversity patterns and dietary characteristics in guatemalan women. material and methods: two non-consecutive 24-h recalls were conducted in convenience samples of 20 rural mayan women and 20 urban students. diversity scores were computed using three food-group systems.variety and diversity scores and dietary origin and characteristics were compared between settings using independent t-test or mann-whitney-u-test. results: dietary variety and diversity were generally greater in the urban sample when compared to the rural sample, depending on the number of days and food-group system used for evaluation.the diet was predominantly plant-based and composed of non-fortified food items in both areas.the rural diet was predominantly composed of traditional,non-processed foods. the urban diet was mostly based on non-traditional and processed items. conclusion: considerations of intervention strategies for dietary improvement and health protection for the guatemalan countryside should still rely on promotion and preservation of traditional food selection.