Dietary Behaviors and Portion Sizes of Black Women Who Enrolled in SisterTalk and Variation by Demographic Characteristics
Abstract
Objective
To describe the dietary behaviors of black women who enrolled in the SisterTalk weight control study.
Design
Baseline data collected via telephone survey and in-person screening.
Setting
Boston, Massachusetts and surrounding areas.
Participants
461 black women completed the baseline assessments.
Main Outcome Measures
Measured height and weight; self-reported demographics, risk factors, and dietary variables including fat-related eating behaviors, food portion size, and fruit, vegetable, and beverage intake.
Analysis
Analysis of variance (ANOVA) models with food habits questionnaire (FHQ) scores as the dependent variable and demographic categories as the independent variables; ANOVA models with individual FHQ item scores as the dependent variable and ethnic identification as the independent variable.
Results
More than 60% reported eating < 5 servings of fruits and vegetables/day. Self-reported portion sizes were large for most food items. Older age, being born outside the United States, living without children, and being retired were significantly associated with a higher prevalence of fat-lowering behaviors. The frequency of specific fat-lowering behaviors and portion size also differed by ethnic identification.
Conclusions and Implications
The findings support the need for culturally appropriate interventions to improve the dietary intake of black Americans. Further studies should examine the dietary habits, food preparation methods, and portion sizes of diverse groups of black women.
1Institute for Community Health Promotion, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
2Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Providence, Rhode Island
3University of Ghana, Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Legon-Accra, Ghana
Address for correspondence: Kim M. Gans Ph.D., MPH, LDN, Brown University Institute for Community Health Promotion, 121 South Main St. 8th floor, Providence, RI 02912; Phone: (401) 863-6564; Fax: (401) 863-6551
The SisterTalk project was funded by the National Cancer Institute, Grant# CA74484.
ABSTRACT