Dietary Consumption of Fat, Sugar, Fruits, and Vegetables, Dietary Acculturation and Anthropometric Indicators Among Filipino-Americans in North Carolina

The role of dietary acculturation and consumption of fat, sugar, fruits, and vegetables among Filipino- Americans (FAs) in the United States (US) remains unclear. Despite the growing numbers of FAs in the US, little is known about their dietary acculturation and fat, sugar, fruits, and vegetable consumption. The purposes of this study were to describe the relationship among demographic variables, level of acculturation, dietary consumption of fat, sugar, fruits and vegetables and dietary acculturation among FAs and to describe the relationships among these variables to their anthropometric measurements. The study sample consisted of 128 FAs (N = 128) residing in North Carolina (NC). The participants were recruited through churches, businesses, events and by word of mouth in Winston-Salem, NC. Participants completed the demographics, the Block’s Short Food Frequency Questionnaire (SFFQ), a Short Acculturation Scale for Filipino Americans (ASASFA), and the Dietary Acculturation Questionnaire for Filipino Americans (DAQFA). Anthropometric measurements such as weight, height, waist and hip circumference were also taken from the participants. Body Mass Index (BMI) and Waist Hip Ratio (WHR) of each participant were also calculated. Changes in weight and waist were also determined by asking the participants if their measurements had changed since their arrival to US. Partial Least Squares (PLS) path modeling was used to explore the predictive relationships between the latent (composite) variables constructed using principal components factor analysis and the indicator (manifest or predictor) variables measured by the researcher. The most important positive predictors of the anthropometric indicators were the Western Scale (path coefficient = .503, p < .05) and the intake of fats and sugars (path coefficient = .282, p < .05). Fruit and Vegetables (path coefficient = -.034), Acculturation (path coefficient = .035), the Filipino Scale (path coefficient = -.086) and Demographic factors (path coefficient = .133) were not significant predictors of the anthropometric measures at the .05 level. The implications were that a high number of food items chosen from the Western Scale, in combination with an increased intake of fat and sugar, predicted a significant increase in BMI, WHR, waist and weight circumference. First generation FAs should be encouraged to decrease their fat and sugar consumption. Less acculturated FAs may also be encouraged to maintain their healthful dietary pattern. Nurses and family nurse practitioners who cater to the FAs may suggest alternative meal options to new FAs who are not familiar with US food selections and choices. Nurses and other healthcare practitioners should consider the positive and negative influences of dietary acculturation in their dietary education for FAs.Ph