Effect of nationality on dietary pattern and meal behavior in China

In 1992 a national nutrition survey was conducted in China in approximately 100,000 people of all ages selected with use of a multistage, stratified, random, clustered procedure. Dietary data were collected with three consecutive 24-h recalls. A total of 9304 members of 20 minority nationality groups were included in the survey, accounting for 9.3% of the total sample. Meal behavior varied greatly according to nationality. Almost all Koreans and Tibetans ate three meals daily but 85% of Lahu people ate only two. Members of many other groups, including the Han, the majority nationality group in China, ate between two and three meals a day. People who ate two meals a day usually ate less than did those consuming three meals. The minority groups consumed amounts of dietary energy and protein comparable to those eaten by the majority group, although cereals accounted for a larger portion and animal food a smaller portion of energy and protein intakes. There were no differences in the dietary patterns of men and women of the same nationalities.