The Hispanic Dietary Mosaic: Assessing the Diet of Women in Puerto Rico in the Atabey Study

Abstract

Hispanics represent a variety of cultures with roots in Europe, Africa, the Americas, and the Caribbean. Important differences exist in ancestry, disease patterns, health behaviors, and even in language. Appropriate vocabulary and visual aids are essential for dietary assessment, for defining specific food items and portion sizes. Careful distinctions must be made between foods with the same Spanish name, yet different nutrient composition. Incomplete or misclassified dietary data may mask or severely limit the possibilities of demonstrating true correlations between diet and disease, and understanding health disparities.ObjectiveIn the Atabey Study, we are developing techniques for obtaining culturally‐specific dietary data for women living in Puerto Rico, in order to assess dietary exposures in relation to risk of breast cancer and other co‐morbidities.MethodsA booklet of photographs was constructed to define portion sizes for key beverages and foods. Questions were designed to distinguish traditional dietary patterns from more acculturated diets both in childhood and adulthood. The nutrient database includes culturally‐specific recipes.ConclusionDevelopment of culturally‐specific dietary assessment tools requires in‐depth understanding of the specific population being studied in order to provide insight into underlying health disparities. Funded in part by DOD CDMRP, BC060131