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Cultural Adaptations in the Collection and Entry of Dietary Intake Data: Field Experiences with Latino Women
Author(s) -
Pinto Elsa,
Rojas Patria,
De La Rosa Mario,
Rahill Guitele
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.24.1_supplement.563.5
Subject(s) - miami , coding (social sciences) , recall , psychology , reliability (semiconductor) , quality (philosophy) , portion size , food consumption , environmental health , gerontology , medicine , food science , biology , statistics , mathematics , power (physics) , physics , environmental science , philosophy , epistemology , quantum mechanics , agricultural economics , soil science , economics , cognitive psychology
Purpose We report on methods used to enhance data integrity in a study of Latina dietary patterns. Assessing dietary intake of minorities is complicated by limitations of available instruments and by potential sources of measurement error. Methods Guided by the USDA 24 hour recall 5‐step multiple pass method, two independent persons coded the dietary data of 316 US and foreign born Latina residents of Miami, Florida. Inter‐coder reliability indicated good agreement. Results Reported food intake revealed that although foods were reported with synonymous names, cooking method, quantity and quality of ingredients and seasonings varied with nativity. Certain fruits, i.e., “bomba” (papaya in some Latino countries) were not in popular nutrient databases and proved problematic. Cultural variations in reports of food consumption, i.e., names, combination platters and descriptions of quantities require skilled and informed interviewers, and specific strategies to assure the quality of the data. Cultural adaptations required more than having bilingual capabilities. Teasing out cultural differences in food nomenclature and preparation through this specific coding process helped to mitigate erroneous dietary findings. Implications Findings are important contributions to enhancing culturally congruent protocols in studies involving adult Latinas and similar populations.