Eating habits and reactions to dietary advice among two generations of Caribbean people: A South London study, part 1

Abstract

This article presents the findings of a study into the dietary habits among two generations of Caribbean people in South London. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to collect data from a sample of 80 people with diabetes and 80 people without the disease on topics including food, the body, health and disease. The study's findings suggest that dietary information should take account of the role of traditional foods in people's diets and certain aspects of their concepts of a 'proper meal'. Other findings include the probability that healthy eating campaigns/material are not reaching this ethnic group; the low comprehension of nutritional terms used in health education material and the use of other terms to classify foodstuffs among some members of the sample. The study also presented evidence of acculturation in the food habits of the interviewees. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.