Dietary intake to reduce cancer risk among African American women in public housing: do sociodemographic factors make a difference?
OBJECTIVE
This study investigates the dietary intake of African American women in public housing as related to cancer risk and explores the sociodemographic factors that hinder healthy dietary intake in this population.


METHODS
Demographic and dietary data for this cross-sectional study were collected as part of a Breast Health Education Study. Trained interviewers conducted face-to-face interviews with study participants to assess the frequency of consumption of specified food items.


METHODS
Study participants included 202 women 35-79 years old residing in six public housing facilities in Atlanta, Georgia.


METHODS
Univariate analyses were performed to report age, marital status, education level, employment status, income level, and frequencies of food items consumed. Correlation coefficients and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyze the association between the frequency of food item consumption and selected sociodemographic characteristics.


RESULTS
Overall, only 33.7% and 17.9% of the women consumed fruit and vegetables on a daily basis, respectively. Almost two thirds consumed meat daily, while less than a third consumed whole wheat bread and bran cereals daily. A significant proportion of women had a daily consumption of fats, oils, and sweets (13.4%-49.5%). Three sociodemographic factors - young age, low income, and low education--were associated with unhealthy dietary intake.


CONCLUSIONS
Strategies to promote healthy dietary intake should be implemented for women in public housing communities to help reduce cancer morbidity and mortality in this population. These strategies should address the barriers to healthy dietary consumption that are faced by women in this setting.
Crump
Sherry R
SR
Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30310, USA. scrump@msm.edu
Taylor
Beverly D
BD
Sung
John F C
JF
Burley
Laurita
L
Sheats
Joyce
J
Murphy
Frederick G
FG
Caplan
Lee
L
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004435:Eating / Q000208:ethnology*; D004522:Educational Status; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D005845:Georgia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011638:Public Housing; D012107:Research Design; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors