A profile of New Zealand ‘Asian’ participants of the 2008/09 Adult National Nutrition Survey: focus on dietary habits, nutrient intakes and health outcomes

Abstract

Objective: To investigate similarities and differences in dietary habits, nutrient intakes and health outcomes of South Asians (SA) and East and South-East Asians (ESEA) and the New Zealand European and Other (NZEO) group, and to examine differences within 'Asian' subgroups according to duration of residence. Design: Nutrient intake data from 24 h diet recalls and data from the dietary habits questionnaire, anthropometry and biochemical analyses from the cross-sectional 2008/09 Adult National Nutrition Survey in New Zealand were compared for participants categorized as SA, ESEA and NZEO. Subjects: Adults aged 15 years and older (n 2995). Setting: New Zealand households. Results: SA were more likely to 'never' eat red meat in comparison to NZEO (P < 0·001) and among females also in comparison to ESEA (P < 0·05). Intakes of fats and some micronutrients (riboflavin, vitamin B 6 , B 12 , Se) were lower among SA than NZEO (P < 0·05). Lower intakes of Zn and vitamin B 12 were reported by SA females compared with ESEA and NZEO females (P < 0·05). A higher percentage of SA were obese using ethnic-specific cut-offs, had lower indices of Fe status and reported diagnosed diabetes compared with NZEO and ESEA. Recent SA male migrants had higher intakes of β-carotene, vitamin C and Ca compared with long-term migrants (P < 0·05). Conclusions:The results of the present study indicate that dietary habits, nutrient intakes, blood profile and body size differ significantly between Asian subgroups. It also provides some evidence for changes in dietary intakes according to duration of residence especially for SA males.

Pregnant women of South Asian ethnicity in Canada have substantially lower vitamin B12status compared with pregnant women of European ethnicity

“…Low intakes of animal-source foods, low socioeconomic status, and a lower prevalence of supplement use have been suggested as predictors of B 12 deficiency in South Asians (66)(67)(68) . No dietary or demographic data were available in the present retrospective study to determine predictors of the reported differences in B 12 status.…”

Secular changes in intakes of foods among New Zealand adults from 1997 to 2008/09

“…Similar downward trends in bread consumption have occurred in the UK and the decline has been attributed to an increased perception of bread as ‘fattening’, the fad to reduce carbohydrate intake, avoidance due to perceived wheat or gluten intolerance or allergies, and increases in the relative price of bread ( 24 ) . In NZ, those of South Asian, East Asian and South-East Asian ethnicities are less likely than NZ Europeans to report consuming bread ( 25 ) . The proportion of these ethnicities is increasing in NZ.…”

“…Those reporting consuming alcohol declined between the 1997 and 2008/09 surveys among females aged [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30] years (−11·7 %, P = 0·006) and males aged 31-50 years (−8·7 %, P = 0·023), but the percentage reporting water as a beverage increased for males and females (P < 0·001).…”

Effect of Cold Storage and Reheating of Parboiled Rice on Postprandial Glycaemic Response, Satiety, Palatability and Chewed Particle Size Distribution

“…Globally, the consumption of rice, which currently provides the majority of daily energy intake and carbohydrate for at least half of the world’s population [1], has been increasing. Since the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on Carbohydrates in Human Nutrition in April 1997 [2], there has been increased understanding of the diverse physiological roles that carbohydrates have on the rate and extent of digestion in the gut and the relationship between dietary carbohydrates and various non-communicable diseases, including hyperglycaemia, insulin resistance, obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes [3].…”