Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research, Tel Hashomer, Israel.
Eur J Clin Nutr. 2010 Nov;64 Suppl 3:S88-94. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2010.217.
To evaluate the role of ethnic foods as predictors of intake levels of selected nutrients that are important during pregnancy among the Bedouin Arab minority population in southern Israel, and to compare the main food predictors for Bedouin intakes of the selected nutrients with those for the region's Jewish majority population.
SUBJECTS/METHODS: Ethnic foods/recipes (n=122) reported in the Bedouin Nutrition Study (BNS) were added to a preexisting, validated Israeli food composition table using European Food Information Resource standard criteria. Food items reported by the 519 BNS participants were combined into 146 food groups that distinguished between existing foods and new ethnic recipes and were entered into a stepwise multiple regression model to identify the main predictors of intake levels of the selected nutrients. The results were compared with those of an identical analysis for the selected nutrients using 24 h recall data from the majority Jewish population.
Over 80% of the BNS between-person variability in the intake of all selected nutrients was explained by 34 food groups, of which 13 (38.2%) were ethnic foods. Homemade whole wheat bread was a main predictor of intake levels for five of the eight selected nutrients, and other ethnic foods/recipes (for example, za'atar, leafy dark green vegetables and camel milk) emerged as predictors of iron, folate, calcium and ω-3 fatty acid intakes. Breads explained 60 and 44% of the between-person variation, and 38 and 36% of the total intakes of iron and zinc intakes in the BNS sample, respectively, whereas for the Jewish population, animal sources and fortified foods predominated as main predictors and contributors of these nutrients.
The addition of ethnic foods to food composition databases is important, as some of these foods are main predictors of nutrient intake levels in ethnic minority populations. In turn, this should facilitate the development of more sensitive dietary assessment tools and more effective diet-based health interventions for ethnic minorities.
评估民族食品作为预测因素的作用，这些预测因素对于以色列南部贝都因阿拉伯少数民族人群在怀孕期间某些重要营养素的摄入量具有重要意义，并比较贝都因人群主要食物预测因素与该地区犹太多数人群主要食物预测因素对所选营养素摄入量的影响。
贝都因营养研究（BNS）中报告的民族食品/食谱（n=122）根据欧洲食品信息资源标准标准添加到预先存在的经过验证的以色列食物成分表中。519 名 BNS 参与者报告的食物项目被组合成 146 个食物组，这些食物组区分了现有食物和新的民族食谱，并被输入逐步多元回归模型，以确定所选营养素摄入量的主要预测因素。将结果与使用大多数犹太人口的 24 小时回忆数据进行的相同分析进行比较。
在所有选定营养素中，超过 80%的 BNS 个体间变异可以用 34 个食物组来解释，其中 13 个（38.2%）是民族食品。自制全麦面包是五种选定营养素中摄入量的主要预测因素，而其他民族食品/食谱（例如，za'atar、多叶深绿色蔬菜和骆驼奶）则是铁、叶酸、钙和 ω-3 脂肪酸摄入量的预测因素。在 BNS 样本中，面包分别解释了铁和锌摄入量的 60%和 44%的个体间变异，分别解释了 38%和 36%的总摄入量，而对于犹太人口，动物来源和强化食品则是这些营养素的主要预测因素和贡献者。
将民族食品添加到食物成分数据库中很重要，因为其中一些食品是少数民族人群营养素摄入量的主要预测因素。反过来，这应该有助于开发更敏感的饮食评估工具和更有效的基于饮食的少数民族健康干预措施。
