Comparison of dietary intake between female Vietnamese immigrants to Korea and Vietnamese females and immigrant's sisters living in Haiphong, Vietnam

Abstract

Dietary changes are inevitable for Vietnamese female immigrants in Korea. This study was to investigate whether dietary intake of immigrants was different from females living in their hometown and their sisters in the rural areas of Haiphong, Vietnam. A cross‐sectional study of 1471 female immigrants (data from the Cohort of Intermarried Women in Korea) and 123 Vietnamese females (data from the International Collaboration Study for the Construction of Asian Cohort) aged 20–39 years, and 47 immigrants and 54 sisters aged 20–59 years was conducted. About 15% of immigrants were current alcohol drinkers and 10% of them were current smokers whereas none of local females indicated that they were alcohol drinkers or smokers. Female immigrants consumed less cereal and cereal products and fishes, and more fruits, eggs, milk and dairy products, oil and fat and beverage than females living in their hometown and sisters. However, immigrants had less consumption of energy, carbohydrate, protein, fat, VitaminB1, and Vitamin C than local females and sisters in Vietnam. Female immigrants may change their diet after immigration to Korea but their nutrient intake was lower than that of local females and sisters. These findings may provide basic data for policymakers and dieticians in order to develop future nutrition and health programs for minority immigrants in Korea.This work was supported by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Brain Korea 21 project in 2009.