Perceived Health and Diet Quality Among Hispanics in South Florida.

There is limited information if perceived health is associated with diet quality in Hispanics. A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate is health perception is associated with diet quality among 109 adults in South Florida. Individuals conducting a primary grocery shopping event were asked to complete a survey about their perceived health and to provide a picture of their grocery receipt to estimate diet quality using the Grocery Purchase Quality Index 2016 (GPQI-2016). Data was analyzed using analysis of covariance, adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity, and household size. Mean age was 45.1 ± 13.5 years, 74% were female, 79% were Hispanics, and 36.7% perceived themselves as having 'Good' health. The total average GPQI-2016 score was 40.9 ± 1.0. Perceived health was not significantly associated with total average GPQI-2016 score (p > 0.05). There was no association between perceived health and total diet quality in this sample of Hispanic adults.

Food Waste and Its Association with Diet Quality of Foods Purchased in South Florida.

The objective of this study was to explore the associations between food waste and the diet quality of foods purchased and with grocery purchasing behaviors. This was a cross-sectional study among 109 primary household food providers conducting primary shopping. Participants were recruited outside of local grocery stores and were asked to complete a survey assessing amounts of avoidable food waste and grocery purchasing behaviors. The diet quality of the foods purchased was assessed from grocery receipts using the Grocery Purchase Quality Index-2016 (GPQI-2016). Variables were associated using linear regression, analysis of covariance, and point biserial correlations. We found that fresh fruits (63%) and leafy greens (70%) were the foods that were the most wasted. The GPQI-2016 total score was significantly inversely associated with the total amount of food wasted (ß = -0.63; 95% CI: -1.14,-0.12) after adjusting for important confounders. The reason "food past the date printed on the package" was directly correlated with food wasted (r = 0.40; p < 0.01) but inversely correlated with GPQI-2016 score (r = -0.21; p = 0.04). Food wasted, but not the GPQI-2016 score, was significantly higher among those who grocery shop 2-4 times per week compared to 1 time every 1-2 weeks (p = 0.02). In conclusion, food waste is inversely associated with diet quality and directly associated with grocery purchasing frequency.