title: Comparison of Dietary Quality Among Puerto Ricans Living in Massachusetts and Puerto Rico.
abstract: Puerto Ricans are burdened by nutrition-related diseases, with greater disease prevalence among Puerto Ricans residing in the continental U.S. compared to those in Puerto Rico (PR). However, little is known about diet quality of these two groups. To compare diet quality of Puerto Ricans in Massachusetts (MA) and PR. Puerto Rican patients from health centers in MA (n = 42) and PR (n = 52) completed a food frequency questionnaire. Diet quality was assessed with the Healthy Eating Index-2010 (HEI). Analysis included Mann-Whitney, Chi square and logistic and quantile regressions. 57.1 % of participants in MA and 19.6 % in PR had a poor diet. Adjusting for age and education, participants in MA were more likely to have a poor diet (OR 3.4; p = 0.02) and lower HEI scores than participants in PR. Diet quality among Puerto Ricans is poor, and is worse among mainland Puerto Ricans compared to islanders.
authors.affiliation: Nutrition Program, Graduate School of Public Health, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico, PO Box 365067, San Juan, PR, 00936-5067, USA.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lopez-Cepero
authors.affiliation: Nutrition Program, Graduate School of Public Health, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico, PO Box 365067, San Juan, PR, 00936-5067, USA.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valencia
authors.affiliation: Psychology Program, Ponce Health Sciences University, PO Box 7004, Ponce, PR, 00732, USA.
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jimenez
authors.affiliation: Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA.
authors.forename: Stephenie C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lemon
authors.affiliation: Nutrition Program, Graduate School of Public Health, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico, PO Box 365067, San Juan, PR, 00936-5067, USA.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Palacios
authors.affiliation: Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA. Milagros.Rosal@umassmed.edu.
authors.forename: Milagros C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Rosal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004032:Diet / Q000208:ethnology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008404:Massachusetts / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011647:Puerto Rico / Q000208:ethnology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Diet quality; Healthy Eating Index; Latino; Puerto Ricans