Birthplace, length of time in the U.S., and language are associated with diet among inner-city Puerto Rican women

• Published in: Ecology of food and nutrition 2005-03, Vol.44 (2), p.105-122
• Main Authors: Himmelgreen, D.A, Bretnall, A, Perez-Escamilla, R, Peng, Y, Bermudez, A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: acculturation; Biological and medical sciences; dietary surveys; Feeding. Feeding behavior; food frequency questionnaires; food intake; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Human physiology applied to population studies and life conditions. Human ecophysiology; low income households; Medical sciences; Nutritional survey. Food supply and nutritional requirement; Puerto Ricans; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems
• ISSN: 0367-0244; 1543-5237
• DOI: 10.1080/03670240590923514

This study examined whether the length of time in the U.S., language use, and birthplace were associated with food consumption among 174 low-income Puerto Rican women in Hartford, Connecticut. A condensed food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to examine the dietary intake for various food groups and composite food groups among the studied women. Length of time in the U.S. was positively associated with the frequency of consumption of artificial drinks such as sodas and fruit drinks (P=.048). Respondents in households where English was the primary language spoken reported a higher frequency of consumption of artificial drinks when compared to those living in bilingual and monolingual Spanish-speaking households (P=0.05). The frequency of consumption of snack foods (e.g., chips) was greater among bilingual speakers than monolingual Spanish speakers (P=.01). Finally, women born in Puerto Rico drank fruit juices more frequently than those born in the U.S. (P=.02). There were no other statistically significant differences found for other FFQ categories (e.g., vegetables, dairy products, meats). These findings suggest that acculturation is associated with changes in food habits, some of which may be conducive to weight gain.