Abstract WE509: Dietary patterns in the general Asian American population: A scoping review

Abstract

Background: Asian American populations are underrepresented within dietary programs and nutrition-specific funding, and existing information amongst Asian American communities have primarily focused on certain ethnic groups or those with pre-existing health conditions. There is a gap in published literature providing an overview of the food groups Asian American populations without non-communicable diseases consume. We aim to provide a comprehensive mapping of Asian American dietary patterns in the United States (U.S.) within existing literature. Methods: A scoping review was conducted from December 2023 to December 2024. Research databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, CABI Digital Library, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCO, ProQuest Dissertations) were searched to identify articles published since 2000 that described food group consumption of Asian American populations. A total of 1,486 articles were independently screened by three reviewers leaving 165 articles for inclusion in this review. An additional 14 grey literature sources were separately included for information on traditional Asian diets. Key findings (population and geographic focus, dataset, food group outcome, study limitations and recommendations) were extracted and summarized in narrative form. Results: Within the literature, Asian American diets are characterized by consumption of refined grains such as white rice and noodles and varied protein sources including plant-based options. Dairy intake in Asian American communities was lower than in the general U.S. population. Filipino, Hmong, Korean, and Vietnamese groups had lower fruit and vegetable consumption. Recommendations for improving diets in Asian American communities emphasize culturally-tailored nutrition education that respects traditional diets, promotes whole grain substitutions, and adopts family-focused approaches. Future research efforts in Asian American diet and nutrition should better understand meal-sharing practices and cooking methods. Conclusions: Identifying broad insights in Asian American dietary consumption lay an essential framework for developing recommendations and interventions to address dietary behaviors contributing to diet-related disease burden amongst the Asian American population.