The relationship between self-rated health and dietary choices of African Americans (806.6)

This cross sectional study investigated the relationship between dietary patterns measured with Healthy Eating Index 2005 (HEI-05) and Self-Rated Health (SRH) in African Americans (AA) with (n=129) and without (n=120) type 2 diabetes (T2D). Recruitment was by community outreach in South Florida. Socio-demographic information and SRH were collected using questionnaires or self-report. Dietary variables were collected using the Willett’s food frequency questionnaire, and then HEI-05 scores were calculated. Reported SRH of individuals with T2D was lower (33.9%, p=.001) than SRH of those without T2D for excellent/very good category. HEI-05 scores between T2D (41.10±11.62) and without T2D (44.01±13.54) groups were only marginally significant (p=.088). Linear regression model showed an association between SRH and HEI-05 (p=.038, B=-2.758) after controlling for covariates. ANCOVA analysis showed that after controlling for covariates the mean HEI-05 scores of “excellent/very good” SRH group (46.53 ± 1.81) were si...