HISPANIC WHITE DIFFERENCES IN DIETARY-FAT INTAKE AMONG LOW EDUCATED ADULTS AND CHILDREN

Background. This comparative study tests for ethnic differences in die tary fat consumption in a community-based sample of Hispanic and white adults with low educational attainment (<12 years of schooling) and a separate sample of their children. Methods. Data are presented for ad ults (age 20-64, n 886) and youths (age 12-19, n = 170) from four Cali fornia cities who participated in one of four sequential cross-section al surveys (1981-1990). Results. After adjustment for age, sex, city o f residence, and time of survey, white adults were significantly (P < 0.03) more likely than Hispanic adults to have eaten high-fat foods in the last 24 hr, such as red meat (75.7% vs 68.4%), cured meats, (39.1 % vs 25.8%), and cheese (41.4% vs 32.7%). Furthermore, white adults co nsumed significantly (P < 0.001) more fat, as measured by percentage o f calories from total fat (37.7% vs 33.3%) and saturated fat (13.7% vs 11.8%), and consumed significantly less dietary carbohydrate (45.5% v s 49.7%) and fiber (17.1 g vs 26.0 g) than Hispanic adults. Ethnic dif ferences were similar for the youth sample (except for carbohydrates), but were generally not significant. A graded relationship was found b etween acculturation and dietary measures, where more acculturated His panics (English-speaking) were intermediate between less acculturated Hispanics (Spanish-speaking) and whites in their dietary intake. Concl usions. This study illustrates the high dietary fat consumption of whi tes with low educational attainment, the increasing fat consumption of Hispanics at higher levels of acculturation, and the need for effecti ve dietary interventions for low educated whites and Hispanics. (C) 19 94 Academic Press, Inc.