Table 1 Mean and SD of dietary diversity score (DDS), dietary diversity score of portions (DDSP) and food variety score (FVS)

Gender

Male (n= 168)

1.57

0.06

1.18

0.24

2.42

0.002

Female (n= 313)

1.53

1.15

2.22

Area of residence

Urban (n=157)

1.53

<0.001

1.12

0.001

2.26

<0.001

Rural (n=285)

1.56

1.17

2.31

Estate (n=39)

1.27

0.99

1.62

Ethnicity

Sinhalese (n= 373)

1.58

<0.001

1.16

0.012

2.36

<0.001

Muslim (n= 28)

1.23

1.29

2.28

Sri Lankan Tamil (n= 42)

1.27

1.10

1.78

Indian Tamil (n = 38)

1.25

0.97

1.58

Educational level

No schooling (n=30)

1.42

<0.001

1.06

0.001

2.13

<0.001

Up to grade 5 (n= 122)

1.45

1.10

2.04

Up to O/L ( n=186)

1.53

1.10

2.26

Up to A/L ( n= 118)

1.52

1.25

2.48

Graduate (n= 23)

1.90

1.12

1.99

Age category (years)

18 – 30 (n= 61)

1.60

0.051

1.12

0.14

2.70

0.39

31 – 40 (n= 84)

1.56

1.10

2.50

41 – 50 (n=121)

1.57

1.18

2.28

51 – 60 (n=110)

1.43

1.17

2.15

> 61 (n=104)

1.53

1.22

2.13

BMI category

≤ 18.5 kgm^-2 (n =74)

1.52

<0.001

1.01

0.016

2.07

<0.001

>18.5 - ≤ 22.9kgm² (n=172)

1.47

1.14

2.20

>23 - ≤ 24.9 kgm^-2 (n=87)

1.68

1.20

2.25

≥25.0 kgm^-2 (n= 146)

1.46

1.19

2.42

Abdominal obesity

Yes (n=163)

1.50

0.005

1.18

0.046

2.30

<0.001

No (n= 316)

1.56

1.14

2.27

Diabetes mellitus

Yes ( n = 60)

1.65

0.23

1.09

0.16

2.30

0.67

No (n= 421)

1.53

1.17

2.32