Racial/ethnic differences in dietary intake among a diverse sample of adolescents: An experimental study

African-American (AA) and Hispanic/Latina (HL) females have higher obesity prevalence than do non-Hispanic Whites (NHW); this may be due to AA and HL consuming more energy-dense foods in response to stressors.

This study examined racial/ethnic differences in dietary intake under controlled conditions (relaxation and stress) in a diverse sample of adolescent females.

Participants included 120 adolescent females (30% AA, 37% HL and 33% NHW) who participated in a laboratory food intake study. Using a randomized cross-over design, ad libitum food consumption was measured following control/relaxation and social-evaluative stress conditions. Food intake was indexed as consumed calories, added sugars and solid fats.

The effect of laboratory conditions on food intake varied by race/ethnicity, such that AA consumed more energy following relaxation than following stress. For NHW and HL, food intake did not differ between conditions.

To the best of our knowledge, these findings are the first to directly observe racial/ethnic differences in food intake in response to acute stress, which may contribute to obesity-related health disparities.