Food and Nutrient Intakes of Jamaican Immigrants in Florida

C R Oladele,Thomas Mason,Wendy Nembhard,Elizabeth B Pathak,Sangita Sharma,Getachew Dagne,Jimin Yang,David Himmelgreen

doi:10.1007/s10903-018-0770-1

Abstract

This study assessed dietary intakes, nutritional composition, and identified commonly eaten foods among Jamaicans in Florida. Dietary intake was assessed among 44 study participants to determine commonly eaten foods and nutrient composition. Weighed recipes were collected and analyzed to determine nutrient composition for traditional foods. Top foods that contributed to macronutrient and micronutrient intake were identified and adherence to dietary recommendations was evaluated. Mean daily energy intake was 2879 (SD 1179) kcal and 2242 (SD 1236) kcal for men and women respectively. Mean macronutrient intakes were above dietary recommendations for men and women. Top foods contributing to energy included rice and peas, sweetened juices, chicken, red peas soup, and hot chocolate drink. Results showed sodium intake was more than double the adequate intake estimate (1300–1500 mg). Findings highlight the need to include commonly eaten traditional foods in dietary questionnaires to accurately assess diet-related chronic disease risk. Findings have implications for risk factor intervention and prevention efforts among Jamaicans.

Highlights

Information on the dietary intakes of English-speaking Caribbean immigrants in the US is scarce, despite the growing number of persons emigrating to the US from the Caribbean region [1, 2]
There are an estimated 106,000 Jamaicans who live in the South Florida region, [5] yet little is known about their dietary intakes which contribute to development of chronic diseases
This study assessed the dietary intakes of Jamaican immigrants in the US to describe food and nutrient intakes and make comparisons to dietary recommendations

Summary

Background

Information on the dietary intakes of English-speaking Caribbean immigrants in the US is scarce, despite the growing number of persons emigrating to the US from the Caribbean region [1, 2]. Current methods lack the ability to accurately assess the dietary composition of ethnically diverse subpopulations due to the paucity of information on the nutrient intakes of ethnic foods [3, 4]. This is true for African-descent Caribbean immigrants for whom there is no existing information on their dietary intakes. This study presents a comprehensive description of the nutrient and food intakes of Jamaican immigrants in the US, describes the level of adherence to dietary recommendations, [12] and discusses implications for the prevention of chronic disease

Participants

Results

Discussion

34.2 Potassium

Study Limitations