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Progress toward a healthier America can only come when programs target their health and promotion activities to special population groups. This concern paved the way for a 3-year study among 120 urban Puerto Rican children, aged 5 to 37 months. Dietary results showed that, despite low mean household incomes, children exhibited adequate intakes, and, in some instances, the intakes exceeded the recommendations. This was particularly true of protein (53 [+ or -] 17.6 g), fat (48 [+ or -] 16.7 g), and sodium (1127 [+ or -] 661.4 mg) intakes. When the mean distribution of energy per meal was examined, snacks, rather than a meal, were found to be the major contributors (35%) of kilocalories to the children's diets. The high snack frequency of whole milk most likely contributes to the significantly higher levels of protein, [B.sub.12], and sodium in the children's diets. Regression analysis examined the independent effect of SES variables on children's macronutrient intakes, with maternal education being a significant explanatory variable. Average percentage of children's weight/age, height/age, and weight/height were 106 [+ or -] 13.4%, 101 [+ or -] 4.4%, and 105 [+ or -] 10.6%, respectively. Thus, it was observed that study children were on average heavier and taller than the reference population.

Introduction. Many women are not meeting dietary recommendations for fiber and fat intakes. Health educators need to know which foods are major sources of these nutrients. Methods. This study analyzed the contributions of 27 food groups to fiber, fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol intakes of 2134 women aged 19 to 50 years in USDA's Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals, the 1985 and 1986 surveys (CSFII 85-86). Results. Major determinants of fiber intake include frequency of use of certain food groups (vegetables, including potatoes, bread, fruit, soups, ready-tot-eat cereal) and choice of particular foods within the larger food groups (e.g., whole grain bread, high fiber cereal). Major determinants of total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol intakes included frequency of use of certain foods (sweet grains, beef, eggs, cheeses/cream, whole milks) and additions to foods (regular salad dressing and butter/margarine). Demographic characteristics were related to various food group consumption parameters. Conclusions. Information about the relationships between food group and nutrient intake and the effects of household income, race/ethnicity, and region of residence on food group intake indicate opportunities to refine nutritional education programs. (Am J Public Health. 1992;82:695-702)

Investigators collected and analyzed mortality data for >50 diseases, including 7 different cancers, from 65 counties and 130 villages in rural mainland China. Blood, urine, food samples, and detailed dietary data were collected from 50 adults in each village and analyzed for a variety of nutritional, viral, hormonal, and toxic chemical factors. In rural China, fat intake was less than half that in the United States, and fiber intake was 3 times higher. Animal protein intake was very low, only about 10% of the US intake. Mean serum total cholesterol was 127 mg/dL in rural China versus 203 mg/dL for adults aged 20-74 years in the United States. Coronary artery disease mortality was 16.7-fold greater for US men and 5.6-fold greater for US women than for their Chinese counterparts. The combined coronary artery disease mortality rates for both genders in rural China were inversely associated with the frequency of intake of green vegetables and plasma erythrocyte monounsaturated fatty acids, but positively associated with a combined index of salt intake plus urinary sodium and plasma apolipoprotein B. These apolipoproteins, in turn, are positively associated with animal protein intake and the frequency of meat intake and inversely associated with plant protein, legume, and light-colored vegetable intake. Rates of other diseases were also correlated with dietary factors. There was no evidence of a threshold beyond which further benefits did not accrue with increasing proportions of plant-based foods in the diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the relative effects of a set of economic factors and three sets of noneconomic factors-demographic, public service and governmental, and socioeconomic factors-on 1960-1970 and 1970-1980 age-specific net migration rates for Texas counties. The results indicate that economic factors were clearly the most powerful predictors of migration during the 1960-1970 period. During the 1970-1980 period, economic determinants were still the most powerful predictors of migration levels for age groups over 40, but socioeconomic factors were the mot powerful predictors for those 10-29 years of age while demographic factors provided the best predictors for the 30-39 year-old group. Overall, the results suggest that economic factors have decreased, and noneconomic (particularly socioeconomic) factors have increased in importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between dietary intakes and urinary calcium was examined in a cross-sectional survey of 764 middle-aged and elderly women with markedly different dietary patterns and lifestyles. Urinary calcium was correlated positively with urinary acids, including titratable acid (r = 0.46, P < 0.0001). ammonia (r = 0.42. P < 0.0001), and sulfate (r = 0.52, P < 0.0001). Urinary excretions of calcium and acids were correlated positively with intakes of animal and nondairy animal protein but were correlated negatively with plant-protein intake, possibly because of the alkaline nature of plant foods. Further analyses showed that urinary calcium and acids were associated positively with acid-forming foods and were associated negatively with plant foods. These results indicate that under free-living conditions urinary calcium excretion is likely determined by the acid-base status of the total diet, including among other factors the contribution of sulfur amino acids to urinary acid production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The extent to which residential segregation results from differences in the socioeconomic status of racial/ethnic groups remains a topic of debate. Although recent studies have argued that improvements in minority groups' socioeconomic status will lead to reduced residential segregation, such analyses have been cross-sectional. This study uses longitudinal data from 27 central cities in Texas to examine the effects of 1970, 1980, and 1970-80 changes in socioeconomic status on Black-White, Anglo-Spanish, and Black-Spanish segregation. The findings indicate that socioeconomic factors are not significant determinants of racial/ethnic segregation in these periods. Rather, age of city, population growth, and percent of the population of minority status appear to explain patterns of residential segregation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]