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Title: LIFESTYLES AND HABITS RELATING TO INTAKE AND DIETARY QUALITY OF ADULTS IN THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI DELTA

Author
item MCGEE, B - SOUTHERN UNIV AND A&M COL
item GOSSETT, J - ACHRI, DAC
item SIMPSON, P - ACHRI, DAC
item McCabe Sellers, Beverly
item Bogle, Margaret
item JOHNSON, G - SOUTHERN UNIV AND A&M COL
item RICHARDSON, V - SOUTHERN UNIV AND A&M COL

Submitted to: Journal of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/12/2003
Publication Date: 4/24/2004
Citation: McGee, B.B., Gossett, J.M., Simpson, P., McCabe-Sellers, B., Johnson, G.S., Richardson, V., Bogle, M. 2004. Lifestyles and habits relating to intake and dietary quality of adults in the Lower Mississippi Delta [abstract]. Journal of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. 18(5):A885.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Good dietary and lifestyle habits impact health. In a representative sample of the LMD, consisting of 1601 African Americans (AA) and Caucasian (C) adults, we examined these habits. Our aim was to show that in the LMD, relatively few adults eat healthy foods and follow good lifestyles and that this trend is worse in some subgroups, such as the food insecure and in AA. We found that <20% reported that they ate light lunch meat, light cheese, low fat ice cream , fruit dessert almost always or always, with AA having lower percentages. Although more said they used light or skim milk, AA and C food insecure (FI) 11%-15% were much lower than C food secure (FS)(28%, P< 0.0001). For C, 47% who were FI vs 27% FS (P< 0.006) were current smokers compared to approximately 20% AA; 40% overall had alcohol in the last month. Over 90% believed it was important to maintain a healthy weight but the average BMI was over 28 indicating that beliefs do not necessarily translate to practice. Over 85% of FI and 80% of FS consider religion to be very important in day to day life. Food security and importance of religion have a significant association (p<0.0048). Religious settings can be used to change lifestyles in impoverished rural areas, especially in the Lower Mississippi Delta region (LMD). Supported by USDA, ARS Project #6251-53000-003-00D.