Dietary patterns of reservation and non-reservation Native American youths.
OBJECTIVE
A leading cause of morbidity and mortality among Native Americans, cancer is largely preventable through lifestyle habits. Ranked high among those habits is a diet low in fat and high in fiber, fruits, and vegetables. Because Native Americans are not included in national nutritional monitoring systems, limited data exist on the cancer-related dietary habits of this population. To bridge this gap, this study measured the eating patterns of Native American youths in the northeastern United States.


METHODS
Cross-sectional.


METHODS
Urban Indian centers and tribal and reservation settings located in New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, and Maine.


METHODS
191 self-identified Native American parents of children between 8 and 14 years of age.


METHODS
Frequency of intake of foods recommended for inclusion in or omission from a diet to reduce cancer risk.


RESULTS
Dietary patterns among Native American youths differed from a national US sample and varied between youths in reservation and non-reservation settings.


CONCLUSIONS
A need exists for nutrition education and behavior change programs that reflect the culturally specific eating habits of the indigenous peoples of the Northeast. Ideally, developing nutrition curricula for specific communities will be done in cooperation with these communities and acknowledge barriers that may limit Native Americans' access to healthful foods.
Di Noia
Jennifer
J
School of Social Work, Columbia University, 1255 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027, USA. jd201@columbia.edu
Schinke
Steven P
SP
Contento
Isobel R
IR
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D003296:Cooking; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000208:ethnology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American; D008019:Life Style; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014481:United States; D014504:Urban Health
D004041:Dietary Fats; D004043:Dietary Fiber