Department of Epidemiology, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
Departments of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences and Epidemiology, Milken Institute School of Public Health at The George Washington University, Washington D.C., USA.
Transl Behav Med. 2022 Jul 7;12(6):761-763. doi: 10.1093/tbm/ibac020.
South Asians are among the fastest growing ethnic group in the USA yet remain understudied in epidemiologic studies. Due to their unique disease profile, identifying risk moderators and mitigators, such as dietary patterns and food intake, will help to determine the diet-disease relationship that is specific to this largely immigrant population group in the USA. The aim of this commentary is to highlight the dietary traditions and acculturated practices experienced by South Asians in the USA with a call for a diet assessment instrument that adequately captures their dietary diversity. Specifically, we call for (i) the inclusion of traditional food items, such as herbs and spices, that individualize diet assessment for participants; and (ii) leveraging technology that will enhance the experience of diet assessment for both researchers and participants, tailoring the collection of habitual dietary intake in this diverse population group.
南亚裔是美国增长最快的族裔之一，但在流行病学研究中仍研究不足。由于他们独特的疾病谱，确定风险调节因素和缓解因素，如饮食模式和食物摄入，将有助于确定特定于美国这一主要移民群体的饮食与疾病的关系。本文的目的是强调南亚裔在美国的饮食传统和文化适应实践，并呼吁使用一种能够充分捕捉其饮食多样性的饮食评估工具。具体来说，我们呼吁：（i）纳入个体化饮食评估的传统食物，如草药和香料；（ii）利用技术增强研究人员和参与者的饮食评估体验，针对这一多样化人群群体量身定制习惯性饮食摄入的收集。
