Differences in Dietary Patterns among Haitian and African Americans with and without Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract

The study investigated differences in dietary patterns measured with the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) and the Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) in African Americans (AA) and Haitian Americans (HA) with and without type 2 diabetes (T2D). A cross‐sectional study conducted in AA (n=225) and HA (n=246). Participants were recruited from multiple sources from Miami‐Dade and Broward Counties, Florida. Demographic, anthropometric and lifestyle data were collected. Dietary variables were collected using a food frequency questionnaire and the HEI and the AHEI scores were calculated. T‐test, chi‐square and multinomial regressions were used for analysis. HA had a significantly higher AHEI scores (p=.001) compared to AA (p =.001). HEI scores were significantly higher for HA compared to AA (p=.001). AA were 3.6 times more likely than HA to have an intermediate diet adherence (p<.001) and 12 times more likely than HA to have a low diet adherence in the AHEI dietary pattern (p<.001). In the HEI dietary pattern, AA were 2.4 times more likely than HA to have an intermediate diet adherence (p<.001) and 5.2 times more likely than HA to have a low diet adherence (p<.001). Ethnicity is a commonly overlooked dimension of the heterogeneity in the black population living in the US. Adequate dietary evaluation may be conducive to focused nutrition interventions. Funding for this research was provided through an NIH/NIDDK sponsored grant.