Dietary patterns of Korean Americans described by factor analysis

This study tested the hypothesis that the dietary behaviors of Korean Americans (KAs) can be grouped into dietary patterns and subsequently examined relations between major dietary patterns and sociodemographic characteristics.

A cross-sectional study was conducted with KAs residing in Michigan using a mail survey. Of 1,860 questionnaires mailed to KAs in Michigan, 637 (34%) responded and 497 first-generation KAs (263 men, 234 women, aged 30-87 y) were included in the final analyses. A factor analysis was used to identify dietary patterns from a 93-item food frequency questionnaire developed for KAs (KFFQ).

Major dietary patterns of KAs were labeled "vegetable/fruit," and "traditional Korean" in both men and women and "acculturated American" in men and "traditional American" in women. The "traditional Korean" dietary pattern was negatively associated with length of residence in the U.S. for both men and women (p < 0.01). The other major dietary patterns were not associated with other sociodemographic variables examined in men; however, the "vegetable/fruit" dietary pattern was positively associated with length of residence in the U.S. (p < 0.05) and education level (p < 0.05) in women.

Dietary pattern analysis can be used to understand dietary behaviors regarding health risks of ethnically different immigrants including KAs.