Healthy dietary practices among black and white South Africans.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate 5 healthy dietary behaviors among Black and White South Africans.


METHODS
Cross-sectional survey with randomly selected participants.


METHODS
Two urban communities in the Northern Province of South Africa.


METHODS
Two hundred fifty Black and 250 White South Africans were chosen by a 1-in-20 systematic random telephone number sampling from the directories of one formerly Black and one formerly White urban area.


METHODS
Measures on dietary behavior, attitudes toward health benefits, risk awareness, and internal health locus of control were administered over the telephone.


RESULTS
The level of healthy dietary habits was found to below; lower among Whites than among Blacks. One fifth (20.8%) of Whites and one third (33.6%) of Blacks reported weights that translated into a BMI above 25, and 3.6% of Whites and 14% of Blacks reached a BMI above 30. Significant univariate associations with healthy dietary habits were identified for health benefits, BMI, being unmarried and, for Blacks, being a member of a healing church. In multivariate analysis, age, Black race, and female gender were significant predictors for healthy dietary habits.


CONCLUSIONS
Results give insights into culturally diverse dietary health behavior practices and the factors that influence them, which have practical implications for dietary health pro motion.
Peltzer
Karl
K
Department of Psychology, University of the North, Sovenga, South Africa. peltzerk@unin.unorth.ac.za
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D044383:Black People; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013019:South Africa; D014505:Urban Population; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology*