Assessment And Comparison of Diet Quality And Physical Activity of African-Caribbean, South Asian and Caucasian Groups in The UK

Background: Nutritional advice from public health campaigns in most Western countries does not include specific recommendations for minority groups. In this study we aimed to evaluate and compare diet quality and physical activity between the major ethnic groups residing in the UK. Methods: Adherence to recommendation, measured using a Diet Quality and Physical Activity Index (DPI) derived from national recommendations, was measure among participants (n=210) of African-Caribbean-, South Asian- and Caucasian ethnicity currently residing in the UK. Results: Significant difference in total DPI score between ethnic groups was not found. Components of the obtained score varied with a higher consumption of dairy products among African-Caribbeans and Asians, oil for cooking was preferred more frequently by Caucasians as was breakfast consumption and frequency and duration of physical activity. African-Caribbeans scored highest in fish, fruit/vegetables and liquid consumption. Conclusion: While the overall diet quality of ethnic minority groups may not be significantly different from the mainstream population, differences in individual diet components should be considered as part of the national nutritional advice of countries with heterogeneous populations.