Environmental and Individual Predictors of Healthy Dietary Behaviors in a Sample of Middle Aged Hispanic and Caucasian Women

The objective of this effort is to gather data to tailor interventions appropriately. Greater understanding of the correlates of socioeconomic status and obesogenic dietary behaviors was the focus of this manuscript. Using multistage sampling, women with varied education levels completed a baseline assessment in a longitudinal study of women aged 30 to 50 years. This study was conducted in low-SES areas of South King County, Washington State. This study included 530 Caucasian and 510 Hispanic women. Fruit and vegetable consumption was positively associated and soft drink consumption inversely associated with the level of education in Caucasian women. In contrast, percentage calories from fat was positively associated with the level of education in Hispanic women. In Hispanic women, level of education interacted significantly with food security in relation to percentage calories from fat, and with eating norms in relation to soft drink consumption. Neighborhood presence of ethnic food stores was associated with outcomes for Hispanic women, but for Caucasians, presence of fast food restaurants was important. Education was consistently associated with two of the three obesogenic dietary behaviors studied among Caucasian women. Education played a moderating role in the associations of food security and eating norms, independent of area level food availability, in two of three obesogenic dietary behaviors studied. However, these patterns differed for Hispanic women, indicating the need for more research into important variables to support change in Hispanic women. Women of differing ethnic groups did not respond similarly to environmental conditions and policy-relevant surroundings. These data have meaning for considering urban policy that impacts obesity levels in the population.