Judith A. Gilbride

Measures of Acculturation are Associated with Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors, Dietary Intakes, and Physical Activity in Older Chinese Americans in New York City

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the U.S. and affects Chinese Americans disproportionately compared to other ethnic groups in the American population. Studies of immigrant populations have shown that risk factors for CVD, including diet and physical activity, differ by acculturation. This cross-sectional study evaluated whether two measures of acculturation (region of birthplace, length of residence in the U.S.) were associated with CVD risk factors, dietary intakes, and physical activity of 125 older Chinese Americans who participated in health fairs conducted in NYC. In this study, mean waist circumference differed significantly by birthplace. Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure differed significantly by length of residence in the U.S. Mean intake of vitamin B6, folate and calcium differed significantly by birthplace: Chinese Americans from Hong Kong had the highest mean vitamin B6 intake whereas older Chinese Americans from Northern China had the highest folate and calcium intakes. Mean intake of riboflavin differed significantly by length of residence in the U.S. with Chinese Americans adults who lived in the U.S. less than 10xa0years having the highest mean intake. Mean dairy intake of Chinese Americans differed significantly by birthplace, with adults from northern China having the highest mean dairy intake. Vigorous-intensity physical activity differed significantly by birthplace, with adults from Hong Kong reporting the most daily minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity. This study suggests that acculturation may be associated with the cardiovascular health of older Chinese Americans living in NYC.

Diet, Physical Activity, and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Among Older Chinese Americans Living in New York City

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the US and affects Chinese Americans disproportionately compared to other ethnic groups in the American population. However, few studies have examined CVD risk factors, including diet and physical activity, in Chinese Americans. This investigation used a cross-sectional design to evaluate the dietary intake, dietary supplement use, and physical activity of 125 older Chinese Americans aged 50–98xa0years, and to determine how these behaviors may be related to obesity and other CVD risk factors. Sociodemographic information, CVD risk factors, dietary intake, and physical activity were obtained from all participants recruited from health fairs conducted in New York City (NYC). The findings revealed that older Chinese American adults living in NYC had a high prevalence of overweight and obesity, borderline hypertension, pre-diabetes, and diabetes. Many participants did not meet their daily requirements calcium, potassium, folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12, several minerals and vitamins important for cardiovascular health. Although most participants consumed an adequate numbers of servings of foods from the main food groups, most did not meet the recommended number of servings of dairy foods and only one in four adults took a multivitamin supplement daily. After adjusting for potential confounders, daily consumption of oil/sweets and dairy foods was positively associated with waist circumference. Also, daily consumption of oils/sweets, meats, and grains was positively associated with systolic blood pressure. The majority of the participants reported at least 30xa0min of moderate intensity physical activity per day. Dietary intake or supplement use did not show protective effects but performing vigorous physical activity may reduce risk of CVD in this population.

Community Priorities for Healthy Eating in Older Adults

ABSTRACT Community planners such as policymakers and health care and nutrition service providers can create an “age-friendly” environment to support healthy eating in older residents by addressing the highest priorities that enable older adults to improve their dietary intake through different food-related community settings. To identify and prioritize these factors that facilitate behavioral change (enablers) and behavioral settings important for older adult nutrition based on the social ecological model, nutrition and aging professionals (nu2009=u200930) from two rural (West Virginia, Iowa) and two urban (Massachusetts, New York) city/county regions (communities) participated in an online or live focus group discussion and completed an analytic hierarchy process survey online. Overall, the most important perceived enablers were accessibility and cost, followed by transportation and social support, but their relative importance varied by community. Participants from all communities considered congregate meal sites and food banks among the most important behavioral settings. Participants from most communities considered food stores to be important and also highlighted other settings unique to the area, such as senior housing, neighborhood, and farmers’ markets. By targeting interventions to address the most notable enablers and behavioral settings specific to their community, planning groups can enhance their older residents’ ability to achieve optimal nutritional health.