title: Dietary patterns and 14-y weight gain in African American women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An inverse association between healthy dietary patterns and weight gain that has been shown in white populations is not evident in the few studies in African Americans, a population at high risk of obesity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We prospectively assessed dietary patterns in relation to weight gain in African American women.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 41,351 women aged 21-54 y at enrollment in 1995 in the Black Women's Health Study. Participants reported dietary intake in 1995 and 2001 and current weight every 2 y through mailed questionnaires. By using factor analysis, 2 major dietary patterns were identified: a "vegetables/fruit" pattern and a "meat/fried foods" pattern. Multivariable mixed linear regression models were used to estimate mean weight gain in 14 y of follow-up according to each dietary pattern.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among women who maintained similar dietary patterns in 1995 and 2001, the vegetables/fruit pattern was associated with significantly less weight gain over 14 y (10.88 and 11.94 kg in the highest and lowest quintiles, respectively; P for trend = 0.003), whereas the meat/fried foods pattern was associated with significantly greater weight gain (12.02 and 10.15 kg in the highest and lowest quintiles, respectively; P for trend < 0.001). The associations were stronger among women aged <35 y, whose weight gain was greatest.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings are the first to indicate that African American women may be better able to achieve long-term weight maintenance by consuming a diet high in vegetables and fruit and low in red meat and fried foods.
authors: Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA. dboggs@bu.edu
authors: Deborah A
authors: DA
authors: Boggs
authors: Julie R
authors: JR
authors: Palmer
authors: Donna
authors: D
authors: Spiegelman
authors: Meir J
authors: MJ
authors: Stampfer
authors: Lucile L
authors: LL
authors: Adams-Campbell
authors: Lynn
authors: L
authors: Rosenberg
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