Results of study involving l08 African American mothers and daughters documents dietary deficiencies for folate, iron, calcium, vitamin D, and excesses of dietary fat, cholesterol and overall energy intake

New Orleans, LA -- African Americans in the United States are subject to higher death rates related to coronary heart disease (CHD) and diabetes than are their Caucasian counterparts. As diet is considered the single most highly correlated variable with elevated blood lipid levels, special attention must be paid to the food intake habits of this population.

An earlier study of health habits among a sample of urban teenagers found African American females had the poorest health habits due to their high intake of foods high in saturated fat, cholesterol, salt and simple sugars. It has been previously observed that children from low-income families, children living at or below the poverty level, and African- or Mexican-American children are at higher risk for iron deficiency than are children from middle- or high-income families.

There are three major areas of concern regarding a young female’s diet. One is folate, one of the eight B vitamins, is vital in preventing neural tube defects (NTD) and lowering homocysteine levels, which is associated with coronary artery disease (CAD). African-American women may not be getting enough folate in their diets, which can have serious implications. Another is calcium and vitamin D, which are essential for bone development in children and bone integrity in women. Finally, iron, or the lack of it, may lead to hindered oxygen transport, decreased immune function, interference in cellular metabolism, and iron deficiency anemia. When there is a net negative iron balance, iron deficiency occurs.

A recent study was undertaken to compare mean dietary intakes of calcium, iron, vitamin D, and folate, against the Dietary Reference Intake values. Each dietary fat value for total fat, cholesterol, saturated fat, monounsaturated fat (MUFA), and polyunsaturated fat (PUFA), was compared to the American Heart Associations recommended upper limits of 30 percent for total calories from fat, 10 percent for saturated fat, 10 percent for PUFA, 10-15 percent for MUFA, and less than 300 mg of cholesterol.

The authors of the study, “Low Intake of Minerals Associated with Growth and Reproduction in 110 Inner-City African American Mothers and their Daughters," are C. Jayne. Brahler, Patricia A. Dolan, Janine T. Baer, all from the University of Dayton, Dayton, OH. They will present their findings in detail during the American Physiological Society (APS) annual meeting, which is being held as part of the Experimental Biology (EB ’02) meeting. More than 12,000 scientific investigators are attending the conference, which begins April 20-24, 2002 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, LA.

The subjects in this study included 108 African American mothers and their daughters (42 mothers, 19 to 50 years old; 66 daughters, 5 to 17 years old), residing in Dayton, Ohio. Trained faculty and student technicians at the University of Dayton assisted participants in reporting 24-hour food recall data, physical activity and health histories. The Modifiable Activity Questionnaire and The Modifiable Activity Questionnaire For Adolescents were used to obtain the physical activity information. Height and weight were measured. Subject age was recorded.

Energy requirements were determined using the Harris-Benedict equation to determine basal energy expenditure. An activity quotient was determined from The Modifiable Activity Questionnaire and The Modifiable Activity Questionnaire For Adolescents. The values from the Modifiable Activity Questionnaires were recorded in metabolic equivalent, MET, hours per week and were converted to kilocalories per day. The difference between total energy expenditure and daily caloric intakes determined energy balance.

Data were blocked by DRI age group (4-8, 9-13, 14-18, 19-30, and 31-50 years old). Mean nutrient intakes for each age group were compared to the DRI for that nutrient using ANOVA tests. Correlations were run between blood hemoglobin levels and iron intakes for each age group.

Key findings of this study included:

• Folate intakes for women of childbearing years, ages 14-50, were significantly lower than the DRI for each age group.

• Dietary intakes for vitamin D and calcium were significantly low in all DRI age groups except the 4-8 year olds.

• ANOVA results indicated that individuals in age groups of 9-13, 19-30, and 31-50 years of age were all significantly low in dietary iron as compared to the DRI for iron for these age groups, whereas individuals in age groups of 4-8 years and 14-18 years were not significantly low in dietary iron intakes, as compared to the DRI for iron for these age groups.

• The average hemoglobin level for these groups was 129 g/L (± 0.99), the very low end of normal.

The combined findings of the present study in Dayton indicate a need for improved nutritional practices for African American females with low incomes. Specifically, this study documented dietary deficiencies for folate, iron, calcium, vitamin D, and excesses of dietary fat, cholesterol and overall energy intake. Based on the findings from this study, nutrition education should aim to increase folate, iron, calcium and vitamin D intakes, and lower total fat, saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, ad cholesterol intakes and alleviate large positive energy balances.

The authors suggest that future research is needed to determine the effectiveness of educational programs involving children and parents, the distribution of a multivitamin, and the effects on a broader sample of a low-income population.

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