Using Community-Based Participatory Research Methods to Inform the Development of Medically Tailored Food Kits for Hispanic/Latine Adults with Hypertension: A Qualitative Study.

The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan is the most effective dietary intervention for cardiovascular disease (CVD), but it excludes the consideration of culture and cost. The Hispanic/Latine population is disproportionately affected by CVD, with risks increasing if persons are accustomed to a Westernized diet. This research aims to understand the cultural dietary practices aligned with a DASH eating plan and the social determinants of health impacting fruit and vegetable (F/V) consumption among immigrant Hispanic/Latine individuals at a community-based clinic in Minnesota. Utilizing community-based participatory research methods, a community survey informed the development of DASH-focused, medically tailored food kits of varying F/V modalities. Qualitative feedback was sought out regarding the kits when presented to 15 individuals during in-depth interview sessions to validate the cultural appropriateness of food kits for clinical use. Box A was the highest rated kit (66.7%) and consisted of fresh F/V. The average F/V consumption per day was 2.6 ± 1.4 servings. The food insecurity questionnaires showed high/marginal (40%), low (53.3%), and very low (6.7%) food security. The barriers to consuming F/V were money, time, and transportation. Understanding cultural dietary practices related to the DASH eating plan is necessary to mitigate CVD risk and provide inclusive medical nutrition therapy for Hispanic/Latine populations.

Dietary gap assessment: an approach for evaluating whether a country's food supply can support healthy diets at the population level.

OBJECTIVE: Dietary diversity, and in particular consumption of nutrient-rich foods including fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans and animal-source foods, is linked to greater nutrient adequacy. We developed a 'dietary gap assessment' to evaluate the degree to which a nation's food supply could support healthy diets at the population level. Design/Setting In the absence of global food-based dietary guidelines, we selected the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet as an example because there is evidence it prevents diet-related chronic disease and supports adequate micronutrient intakes. We used the DASH guidelines to shape a hypothetical 'healthy' diet for the test country of Cameroon. Food availability was estimated using FAO Food Balance Sheet data on country-level food supply. For each of the seven food groups in the 'healthy' diet, we calculated the difference between the estimated national supply (in kcal, edible portion only) and the target amounts. RESULTS: In Cameroon, dairy and other animal-source foods were not adequately available to meet healthy diet recommendations: the deficit was -365 kcal (-1527 kJ)/capita per d for dairy products and -185 kcal (-774 kJ)/capita per d for meat, poultry, fish and eggs. Adequacy of fruits and vegetables depended on food group categorization. When tubers and plantains were categorized as vegetables and fruits, respectively, supply nearly met recommendations. Categorizing tubers and plantains as starchy staples resulted in pronounced supply shortfalls: -109 kcal (-457 kJ)/capita per d for fruits and -94 kcal (-393 kJ)/capita per d for vegetables. CONCLUSIONS: The dietary gap assessment illustrates an approach for better understanding how food supply patterns need to change to achieve healthier dietary patterns.