Ethnicity and nutrition of adolescent girls in Hawaii.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the ethnicity and nutrition of adolescent girls in Hawaii.


METHODS
This was a cross-sectional survey.


METHODS
Girls, aged 9 to 14 years, were identified from the membership files of Kaiser Permanente Hawaii, a large Hawaii health maintenance organization.


METHODS
Nutrient and food group intakes were compared against recommended intakes, physical activity levels, and anthropometric measurements of height, weight, body mass index (BMI), and subscapular and iliac skinfold thicknesses.


METHODS
Asian girls, girls of mixed ethnicity, and white girls were compared using analysis of variance.


RESULTS
Although Asian girls weighed the least and were the most sedentary, white girls had the lowest BMIs. Mixed ethnicity girls had the highest weights, BMIs, and subscapular and iliac skinfold thicknesses. No significant differences were found in major macronutrient intake. However, mixed ethnicity and Asian girls had lower fiber, iron, folate, and calcium intake than white girls. All groups met recommendations for iron intake, whereas none met fiber and calcium recommendations. All girls met folate recommendations. No differences were found in intakes for tofu, soy, grains, vegetables, or fruit and nuts food groups. Mixed ethnicity girls had the highest sweetened carbonated beverage intake although overall sugar intake was highest in white girls. Asian and mixed ethnicity girls' meat intakes were higher than white girls'. Intakes of mixed ethnicity girls more closely resembled those of Asians, although they exhibited the highest BMIs.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest grain, vegetable, fruit, and dairy intake should be encouraged as part of a balanced diet for adolescent girls in Hawaii.
Daida
Yihe
Y
Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu 96822, USA. ygoh@hawaii.edu
Novotny
Rachel
R
Grove
John S
JS
Acharya
Sushama
S
Vogt
Thomas M
TM
D000293:Adolescent; D017195:Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001208:Asia / Q000208:ethnology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002253:Carbonated Beverages; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000592:standards*; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005006:Ethnicity; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006254:Hawaii; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D019266:Iron, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012885:Skinfold Thickness
D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D004043:Dietary Fiber; D019266:Iron, Dietary; D005492:Folic Acid