Dietary intake and health behavior among black and white college females

Nutrition, exercise, diet, and health risk factors of 422 Black and White college females were studied. Both groups showed marked deficiencies in key nutrients, and Black females had higher fat and calorie intake than White females. In selecting foods, White females relied more on nutrition knowledge and Black females were more influenced by cultural traditions. Body image dissatisfaction was higher in White females, complemented by increased use of compensatory dieting techniques. Self-identified risk factors were significantly different between groups, and for both groups, health behavior contradicted known risk factors.