to
             96 living in a San Antonio barrio in order to evaluate the relationships
             between food consumption and income, ethnicity, birthplace, marital status,
             The researchers obtained food frequency intake data from interviews
             previously conducted for a larger study that assessed the impact of a
             community-based service program on reducing institutionalization of the
             elderly. The longitudinal study compared socioeconomic characteristics,
             family structure and relationships, psychological well- being, health,
             religion, and retirement experiences of aging Mexican Americans and non-
             Hispanic whites. Of the original individuals questioned, data were used
             regarding 190 Mexican American and 62 non-Hispanic whites.
             They recorded food frequency data for 57 dietary items that were
             categorized according to the five basic food groups: dairy, meat and meat
             alternatives, fruits/vegetables, breads/cereals, and fats/sugar/beverages.
             Participants identified how often they usually consumed each dietary
             itemâ€"weekly, daily or less than once a weekâ€"and for daily or weekly
             consumption, to indicate the actual number of times the food was eaten
             Analysis of 30 foods in earlier research showed that elderly men and
             womenâ€"especially those who are Mexican American--have low intakes of
             calcium, vitamin A and C, protein, iron and riboflavin. The researchers
             eliminated foods that are not considered good sources of these nutrients or
             not reported in sufficient quantity.
             The purpose of the study was to determine whether a significant
             difference existed in the foods that constituted an important part of the
             Mexican-American and non-Hispanic white diets, so the only foods considered
             were those eaten at least once a week.
             Compared with non-Hispanic whites, Mexican Americans reported
             significantly (p-.05) more frequent consumption of poultry,
             a...