Dietary intakes of Pacific ethnic groups and European people

To compare dietary intakes, food servings, and cooking practices of Pacific ethnic groups with New Zealand Europeans.

Daily nutrient intakes were calculated from a self-administered food frequency questionnaire from a cross-sectional health screening study. Participants were Pacific (n=954) and New Zealand European (n=1.745) people aged 35 to 74 years.

Total energy intakes in Samoan and Niuean men were higher than European men, while for women, total energy intakes were significantly higher in all Pacific ethnic groups compared to New Zealand European women. Pacific men and women had lower alcohol and calcium intakes compared to New Zealand Europeans, and Pacific men had higher protein and cholesterol intakes. Pacific adults reported eating more servings of fish, chicken and bread, fewer servings of cheese and breakfast cereal per month, and boiled their meat more often than European adults.

Substantial differences in dietary habits and cooking practices exist between European and the different Pacific adult groups mainly related to the frequency of consumption of certain food/nutrient groups and greater serving sizes in Pacific compared to New Zealand European adults. Implications Strategies targeting serving sizes and frequency of consumption of specific food groups may help address the major ethnic disparities in nutrition-related health problems in New Zealand.