Approved Research

Ethnic differences in determinants and health consequences of diet and physical activity

Lay summary

The aims are to: 1) investigate how diet and physical activity vary by ethnic group; 2) identify the determinants (e.g. socioeconomic position, where a person lives, health status) of these diet and physical activity measures within ethnic groups and how they differ between ethnic groups; 3) investigate how diet and physical activity are related to body size and measurements of health-related function important in ageing (e.g. blood pressure and lung function) within ethnic groups and how these relationships differ by ethnic group.

There are important ethnic differences in health. Ethnic minority groups have poorer health and age less healthily compared with the white British population. Although some policies address health inequalities, there is a lack of relevant health and social policies to support ethnic minority groups. We know that poor diet and being physically inactive are factors likely to cause poor health as people age. They increase the risk of developing long term conditions such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart problems which are common in ethnic minority groups including UK South Asian, Black African and Caribbean. The Mediterranean diet (which consists of high intake of vegetables, fruits, cereals, and fish and a low intake of dairy products and meat) has been promoted as the diet of choice. However, older people from ethnic minority communities, particularly of South Asian, and Black African and Caribbean origin often prefer to keep to their traditional diet because of the cultural importance and social role of food. For physical activity, cultural expectations and social responsibilities are barriers to participation which are specific to ethnic minority groups. There are many reasons why people might have a poor diet and low levels of physical activity and need to understand more about these factors across different ethnic groups.

This research will provide information about potential promoters and barriers to healthy diet and physical activity among ethnic minority groups in the UK. It will allow development of interventions better tailored to health promotion for older people within ethnic minority communities. The findings will feed directly into further research which aims to develop a food-based intervention to improve nutrition in UK South Asian, Black African and Caribbean older adults. We will work together with older people from these communities to produce a culturally tailored, adaptable toolkit with food-based recommendations, guidance and resources for older people in their communities.

This project will last up to 3 years.