Correlates of Low-Fat Milk Consumption in a Multi-Ethnic Population

Objective: To assess the correlates of low-fat milk consumption in a multi-ethnic population. Design: Cross-sectional random digit dial telephone survey of adults residing in Hawaii. Setting & Participants: The survey was completed by 600 adults who consumed cow’s milk. Five ethnicities composed over 86% of the sample: Caucasian (36%), Hawaiian (17%), Japanese (18%), Filipino (10%), and Chinese (5%). The average age of participant was 45.6. 84% had completed high school and 35% had completed college. Variables Measured: All variables were self-reported. Type of milk consumed (high-fat vs. low-fat) was the dependent variable. Independent variables included age, gender, ethnicity, body mass, attitude, normative beliefs, and stage of change. Analysis: Chi-squares and logistic regression were used for the analysis (p < .05). Results: Younger and less educated people were less likely to drink low-fat milk, as were Native Hawaiians and Filipinos. In the multivariate analyses only attitudes, normative beliefs, and education were significant predictors. Conclusions and Implications: Attitudes and normative beliefs towards milk consumption explain more of the variance in type of milk consumption than demographic characteristics. This data indicates the feasibility of testing interventions designed to influence attitudes and normative beliefs towards low-fat milk consumption in Asian and Pacific Island communities.