Diet Quality and Chronic Disease Risk in Hispanic Populations

Hispanic populations worldwide exhibit a complex interplay between traditional dietary practices and the increasing influence of Westernised eating patterns, with significant implications for chronic disease risk. High consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, refined grains and processed foods has been linked to elevated rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, whereas diets rich in legumes, fruits, vegetables and minimally processed staples tend to confer protective effects. Socioeconomic factors, level of acculturation and access to culturally appropriate nutrition education further shape dietary quality, often creating disparities in health outcomes among subgroups of diverse Hispanic heritage. Community-based interventions that integrate deep-structure cultural tailoring into dietary messaging have demonstrated promise in improving adherence to healthy eating guidelines. A holistic approach that addresses behavioural, environmental and policy-level determinants is essential to reduce the burden of cardiometabolic conditions and to promote resilience within Hispanic communities globally.

Research from Nature Portfolio

No recent Nature Portfolio content available.

Diet Quality and Chronic Disease Risk in Hispanic Populations publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in diet quality and chronic disease risk in hispanic populations across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI): A scoring system that measures diet quality by assigning points based on the intake of healthy (for example, whole grains, fruits, nuts) and unhealthy (for example, red and processed meats, sugary beverages) food components.

Cardiometabolic risk factors: A cluster of interrelated health indicators, including elevated blood pressure, dyslipidaemia and insulin resistance, that increase the likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

Acculturation: The process by which individuals adopt the cultural traits, dietary habits and social norms of a host society, which can alter traditional eating patterns and influence health outcomes.

Deep-structure cultural tailoring: An intervention strategy that integrates core cultural values, beliefs and traditions into health messages and programme design, beyond translation or surface-level modifications, to enhance relevance and effectiveness.

References

1. Lessons learned by adapting and implementing LUCHA: a deep-structure culturally tailored healthy eating randomized pilot intervention for ethnic-diverse Latinos. Frontiers in Public Health (2024).
2. Dietary Intake and Its Determinants Among Adults Living in the Metropolitan Area of Puerto Rico. Nutrients (2019).
3. Foods Contributing to Macronutrient Intake of Women Living in Puerto Rico Reflect Both Traditional Puerto Rican and Western-Type Diets. Nutrients (2018).
4. Design and Implementation of a Culturally-Tailored Randomized Pilot Trial: Puerto Rican Optimized Mediterranean-Like Diet. Current Developments in Nutrition (2022).