Sources of vegetables, fruits and vitamins A, C and E among five ethnic groups: Results from a multiethnic cohort study

Abstract

Objectives Data are limited on how dietary sources of food and nutrients differ among ethnic groups. The objective of this study was to determine the main sources of fruit, vegetables, and vitamins A, C, and E for five ethnic groups. Methods Dietary data were collected using a validated quantitative food frequency questionnaire from participants in the Multiethnic Cohort in Hawaii and Los Angeles County between 1993 and 1996. Data were analyzed for 186,916 participants representing five ethnic groups; African Americans, Japanese Americans, Native Hawaiians, Latinos, and Caucasians. Results Lettuce was the most consumed vegetable (6.0%-9.9%) in all ethnic-sex groups, except African American women and Mexican-born Latino men and women. Oranges and bananas contributed more than one quarter to total fruit intake among all groups. Overall, more ethnic variation in food choices was observed for the top ten vegetables than fruit. The top sources for vitamins A, C and E were carrots, orange/grapefruit/pomelo and combined dishes, respectively. Between micronutrients studied, the greatest ethnic variation in foods consumed was observed among the top ten food sources of vitamin A. Conclusions This is the first study providing data on the main types of fruit and vegetables consumed and the major sources of vitamins A, C, and E among these ethnic groups in the U.S. Such data are valuable for developing and implementing public health strategies to meet the USDA dietary recommendations and guiding ethnic-specific nutrition education and intervention programs.

Comparable Dietary Patterns Describe Dietary Behavior across Ethnic Groups in the Netherlands, but Different Elements in the Diet Are Associated with Glycated Hemoglobin and Fasting Glucose Concentrations

“…Fruit and vegetable intake might serve as another example. There are large cultural differences and possibly differences in nutrient composition in such foods consumed (36). Sharma et al (36) observed great ethnic variation in food sources of vitamins A, C, and E, which implies that the biological impact of diet on disease may differ on the basis of the foods that ethnic groups consume.…”

Hot Air Drying Kinetics of Thin Layers of Prickly Pear Fruit Paste

“…), member of Cactaceae family, is characterized by a thick pericarp with small prickles, colors from yellow to purple, and juicy pulp full of seeds (Sáenz 2000;Zito et al 2013). From the nutrimental view point, prickly pear fruit contains ascorbic acid (0.02 -0.04%), fibre (0.02-3.15%) and some essential amino acids like methionine and phenylalanine (El Gharras 2011;Herrera-Hernández et al 2010;Ozcan & Juhaimi 2011;Piga et al 2003;Sharma et al 2014). The caloric value of its pulp is 209.34 kJ/100 g, comparable to other fruits such as pear, apricot and orange (Felker et al 2002;Herrera-Hernández 2010).…”

School Gardening Activities have Profound Potential in Influencing the Knowledge, Attitude, Self-efficacy and Frequency of Fruit and Vegetable Intake by Late Adolescents

“…Our study and the former study used different methods. The current study used food frequency questionnaires which have been adopted by many recent studies in evaluating attitude, frequency, knowledge and efficacy related to fruit and vegetable intake by school children (Sharma et al, 2014, Emily M, 2016, Neumark-Sztainer et al,, 2012. The previous study used students' nutritional behaviors regarding fruit and vegetables evaluated through 24-hour recall journals.…”

“…The previously validated tool for self-efficacy related to fruits and vegetable consumption for adolescents aged 11-19 by Hagler et al, 2005, Bandura, 2006, andSharma et al, 2014 was adopted after it was optimized to meet the local fruits and vegetables. This was called the fruit and vegetable efficacy questionnaire (FVEQ).…”