Eating at fast-food restaurants is associated with dietary intake, demographic, psychosocial and behavioural factors among African Americans in North Carolina.

摘要

Objective: To examine the association of frequency of eating at fast-food restaurants with demographic, behavioural and psychosocial factors and dietary intake in African American adults. Methods: Self-reported data from a population-based cross-sectional survey of 658 African Americans, aged 20-70 years, in North Carolina, USA [date not given]. An 11-page questionnaire assessed eating at fast-food restaurants, demographic, behavioural and diet-related psychosocial factors, and dietary intake (fruit, vegetable, total fat and saturated fat intakes, and fat-related dietary behaviours). Results: The participants were aged 43.9+or-11.6 years, 41% were male, 37% were college graduates and 75% were overweight or obese. 76% reported eating at fast-food restaurants during the previous 3 months: 4% usually, 22% often and 50% sometimes. The frequency of eating at fast-food restaurants was positively associated with total fat and saturated fat intakes and fat-related dietary behaviours (P<0.0001), and inversely associated with vegetable intake (P<0.05). For example, mean daily fat intake was 39.0 g for usually/often respondents and 28.3 g for those reporting rareever eating at fast-food restaurants. The participants who reported usual/often eating at fast-food restaurants were younger, never married, obese, physically inactive and multivitamin non-users (all P<0.01). The frequency of eating at fast-food restaurants was positively associated with fair/poor self-rated health, weak belief in a diet-cancer relationship, low self-efficacy for healthy eating, weight dissatisfaction, and perceived difficulties of preparing healthy meals and ordering healthy foods in restaurants (all P<0.05). Conclusions: Eating at fast-food restaurants is associated with higher fat and lower vegetable intakes in African Americans. Interventions to reduce fast-food consumption and obesity in African Americans should consider demographic and behavioural characteristics and address attitudes about diet-disease relationships and convenience barriers to healthy eating.