Development and Application of Interactive, Culturally Specific Strategies for the Consumption of High-fiber Foods in Puerto Rican Adolescents

ABSTRACT

Healthy eating practices in the adolescents can prevent the development of obesity and other chronic diseases in the adulthood. The consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in Puerto Rican adolescents is low and might be contributing to the high prevalence of food-related chronic diseases, such as obesity in this group. The purpose of the study was to develop and apply interactive methods and strategies that help adolescents make healthy food choices. Over time, healthy food choices can delay or prevent food-related chronic diseases in the adulthood. Information from the focus groups helped to develop nutrition education materials that were age-culturally specific. Following nutrition education, the consumption of foods high in dietary fiber such as fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain cereals improved significantly in Puerto Rican adolescents. A modified socioecological model for dietary fiber-rich foods consumption in Puerto Rican adolescents, demonstrated that effective nutrition education strategies reduced the barriers to dietary fiber-rich foods consumption on the adolescents, their parents and the community promoting healthy eating choices of fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain cereals, to prevent food-related chronic diseases in the adulthood.

KEYWORDS:

• Dietary fiber
• adolescents
• obesity
• chronic diseases
• culture
• nutrition education
• Hispanic nutrition

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the dietetics internships from the Nutrition and Dietetics Internship Program at the University of Puerto Rico, Medical Science Campus, and from the Puerto Rico’s Department of Health.

Disclosure statement

The authors state there are no conflicts to report.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative of the US Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Grant No. [2016-69001-24960].