African-American Womens’ Eating Habits and Intention to Change: a Pilot Study

Abstract

Unhealthy diet is one of the leading contributors for chronic disease related morbidity and mortality in African- American (AA) women living in the USA. The purpose of this study was to describe eating habits and intention to change using the stages of change (SOC) model in a sample of AA women. A cross-sectional population-based study was conducted in Florida with AA women. A total of 292 AA women participated. Outcome variables were eating breakfast, foods having low to no fat, fruits and vegetables, whole grain products, foods with low to no salt, and few to no snacks. SOC was the main independent variable. Almost half (48 %) seldom added salt to meals, 45 % consumed low-fat foods, 32 % consumed breakfast every day, and 32 % consumed primarily whole grain products. Women in action and maintenance SOC were significantly more likely to eat breakfast (odds ratio (OR) = 1.50, 95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.10–2.03), mostly or only low-fat foods (OR = 4.11, 95%CI: 2.59–6.51), ≥4 servings of fruits and vegetables (OR = 1.75, 95 % CI: 1.09–2.83), and whole grain products (OR = 2.05, 95 % CI: 1.42–2.97). AA women want to eat healthier but do not always practice healthy diets. Understanding SOC can be essential to develop interventions for improving AA women’s eating habits. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)