Abstract
Nutrition education programs often assume that African Americans follow a Southern or Soul Food dietary pattern. Little evidence exists on the actual dietary intakes of African Americans in Arizona. We collected baseline dietary intake information as part of the development of a heart disease risk reduction intervention from a convenience sample of 307 African Americans aged 18–60 years. Participants completed food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) about their general dietary patterns and intakes of Soul Foods (Jackson Heart Study FFQ) and Hispanic foods. Additional questions were asked about heart disease knowledge and risk factors. A majority of the sample was overweight or obese. Fifty‐one percent of men exceeded dietary recommendations for fat intake compared to 30% of women. Few met dietary guidelines for fruits and vegetables (17%), legumes (9%), or fiber (15%). In contrast to qualitative statements, few people reported eating Soul Foods regularly, except for greens or fried fish which were consumed at least 2–3 times per month by 50% of the sample. Participants did not report regular consumption of Hispanic foods either. These findings suggest actual dietary intakes should be assessed before using Soul Foods as examples of modified recipes in nutrition education outreach. Funding was provided by St. Luke's Health Initiatives and the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Published Version
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