Background Social support is an important health determinant and may affect dietary behaviors. The purpose of this study was to examine the relations between perceived social support and the Chinese Diet Balance Index-16 (DBI-16) among ethnic minority groups in Southwest China. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted between May 2019 and August 2020 among six ethnic minority groups native to Yunnan Province (n = 3564). Perceived social support from family, friends and significant others were measured with the Multi-dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Dietary data were obtained using a 100-item Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and a lifestyle questionnaire. Lower Bound Score (LBS), Higher Bound Score (HBS) and Diet Quality Distance (DQD) which represent inadequate, excessive and unbalanced food intake respectively were calculated to measure the compliance with the recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese 2016. Results One thousand four hundred ninety-six men and two thousand sixty-eight women were included. 51.2% of the subjects had moderate or high levels of inadequate intake; 21.3% had moderate or high levels of excessive intake; and 74.0% had moderate or high levels of unbalanced dietary intake. With potential confounders adjusted, support from family was negatively associated with inadequate intake, while support from friends was positively associated with inadequate and excessive intake. No significant associations were found between perceived social support from significant others and diet quality indicators. Conclusions An unbalanced diet is common among adults of the ethnic minority groups in Yunnan Province, Southwest China. Social support should be taken into account in designing nutrition interventions rather than focusing solely on individuals.
Background Few studies have focused on the influencing factors of dietary practices among ethnic minority groups in China, particularly from a social capital perspective. Methods Between May and September 2019, we conducted a cross-sectional survey among adults (n = 1,813) from three ethnic minority communities (A Chang, De Ang and Jing Po) in Yunnan Province, Southwest China. Dietary intakes during the past 12 months were measured with a 100-item Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), and two forms of social capital (bonding and bridging) were measured using the validated Personal Social Capital Scale 16 (PSCS-16). Principal component factor analysis was used to derive dietary patterns from 20 food groups. Multivariate linear regressions were used to examine the associations between social capital and dietary patterns. Results Two distinct dietary patterns were identified: the traditional and the modern. The traditional pattern was characterized by high consumptions of tubers, poultry, rice, fruits, vegetables and low consumptions of oil and salt, whereas the modern pattern was highly correlated with egg, nut, beverage, snack and oil consumptions. After adjusted for potential confounders, the modern pattern was positively associated with bonding capital (β = 0.066; 95%CI: 0.058, 0.075) and negatively associated with bridging capital (β = -0.017; 95%CI: -0.024, -0.010). Conclusion In conclusion, an unhealthy dietary pattern was identified among the ethnic minority groups in Southwest China. The influences of people’s social connections on dietary behaviors should be considered in designing and implementing nutrition intervention programs for the population.
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