Research and Outreach Nutrition Intervention Lab Dietary Assessment

 

• Overview
• Community Projects
• Childhood Physical Activity and Nutrition Grant
• Dietary Assessment & Focus Groups
• Papers, Presentations & Final Reports

Dietary Assessment & Focus Groups

Dietary Assessment in Minority Adolescents

Leslie M. Rodriquez, RD, LD

Rationale
Obesity rates are on the rise among children and adolescents in the United States, and obesity increases the risk for developing chronic diseases including diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. We are especially concerned with Hispanic/Latino adolescents, since the U.S. Census indicated that there were 12.3 million Hispanics younger than 18 in 2000 and Latino boys have the highest rates of obesity among young people. Obesity and diabetes disproportionately affect Hispanic/Latinos, and because many dietary behaviors are instilled during childhood, there is a need for nutrition interventions targeted at young Latinos. In order to develop such interventions, we must establish a dietary assessment method for use with minority children. This tool must be age and culturally appropriate, include foods indigenous to Hispanic/Latinos, and be able to overcome language and literacy barriers.

Objective
To develop and assess the validity and reliability of a modified picture-sort food frequency questionnaire designed for English-speaking Hispanic middle school students.

The project is currently underway in Hall County, Georgia and will be completed by June 2004.