Caribbean nutrition transition: what can we learn from dietary patterns in the French West Indies?

PURPOSE: Despite the urgency regarding increasing rates of obesity and chronic diseases in the Caribbean, few studies described the nutrition transition. We aimed to provide such information by identifying dietary patterns in the French West Indies and their characteristics. METHODS: This cross-sectional analysis included 1144 Guadeloupeans and Martinicans from a multistage sampling survey conducted on a representative sample. Dietary patterns were identified using principal component analysis followed by a clustering procedure, and described using multivariable regression models. RESULTS: Four patterns were identified: (i) a "prudent" pattern characterized by high intakes of fruits, vegetables, legumes, seafood and yogurts, low intakes of fatty and sweet products, and a high Diet Quality Index-International (DQI-I); (ii) a "traditional" pattern characterized by high intakes of fruits, vegetables, tubers and fish, low intakes of red and processed meat, snacks, fast foods, and sweetened beverages, with a high DQI-I, mostly shaped by women and older persons; (iii) a "convenient" pattern characterized by high intakes of sweetened beverages, snacks, and fast foods, with the lowest DQI-I, principally shaped by young participants; (iv) a "transitioning" pattern characterized by high consumptions of bread, processed meat, sauces, alcoholic and sweetened beverages, but also high intakes of tubers, legumes, and fish, mainly shaped by men, middle aged, of whom 35% had metabolic syndrome. CONCLUSION: The co-existing dietary patterns in the French West Indies, marked by a generational contrast, seem to reflect different steps in dietary change as described in the literature, suggesting an ongoing nutrition transition.

Typology of eaters based on conventional and organic food consumption: results from the NutriNet-Santé cohort study.

Limited information is available on large-scale populations regarding the socio-demographic and nutrient profiles and eating behaviour of consumers, taking into account both organic and conventional foods. The aims of this study were to draw up a typology of consumers according to their eating habits, based both on their dietary patterns and the mode of food production, and to outline their socio-demographic, behavioural and nutritional characteristics. Data were collected from 28 245 participants of the NutriNet-Santé study. Dietary information was obtained using a 264-item, semi-quantitative, organic FFQ. To identify clusters of consumers, principal component analysis was applied on sixteen conventional and sixteen organic food groups followed by a clustering procedure. The following five clusters of consumers were identified: (1) a cluster characterised by low energy intake, low consumption of organic food and high prevalence of inadequate nutrient intakes; (2) a cluster of big eaters of conventional foods with high intakes of SFA and cholesterol; (3) a cluster with high consumption of organic food and relatively adequate nutritional diet quality; (4) a group with a high percentage of organic food consumers, 14 % of which were either vegetarians or vegans, who exhibited a high nutritional diet quality and a low prevalence of inadequate intakes of most vitamins except B12; and (5) a group of moderate organic food consumers with a particularly high intake of proteins and alcohol and a poor nutritional diet quality. These findings may have implications for future aetiological studies investigating the potential impact of organic food consumption.