Feeding the Hispanic hospital patient: cultural considerations

As service-oriented professionals in a multicultural society, dietitians must be aware of cultural influences on food consumption patterns, population demographics, and health care usage by ethnic groups. The United States has one of the largest Hispanic populations in the world. The major health problems in the Hispanic population are cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and obesity. The use of health care services by Hispanic subgroups is dependent upon their residence in a rural or an urban area. This article summarizes national trends in food consumption, health care usage, prevalent health problems, and eating habits of Mexicans and Puerto Ricans, the most populous of the Hispanic subgroups. We provide diet modifications for energy-, fat- and sodium-restricted diets, which are part of the treatment for problems prevalent in this ethnic population. Dietitians must consider cultural and demographic influences to help Hispanic hospital patients modify their diet in ways that are both healthful and culturally acceptable.