The Use of an Ethnic Food Frequency Questionnaire Among Hispanic Women

The objective of this study was to determine if an Ethnic Food Frequency questionnaire more accurately reflected food intake among immigrant Hispanic women compared to US-born Hispanic women. Participants in the study consisted of 30 immigrant and 25 US-born Hispanic low-income women living in the Grand Island, Nebraska, area. A traditional food frequency questionnaire used by the Nebraska Women, Infants, and Children's (WIC) Special Supplemental Food program and a modified questionnaire containing ethnic foods were administered to the women. The immigrant group consumed more of the traditional Hispanic foods than did the US-born group. A traditional food frequency questionnaire that did not include ethnic foods did not accurately measure food intake among recently arrived Hispanic immigrants. Use of a modified food frequency questionnaire that reflects typical ethnic foods of recently arrived immigrant groups would be important for assessing nutritional status of new immigrants. Such an instrument would be useful in health clinics and other medical settings that serve new immigrants.