2005, Volume 11 No. 2

ARTICLE 2

Assessment of Dietary Patterns of Thais in Germany and Thailand

Kwanbunjan K¹, Chaikate S³, Songmuaeng K^2
1 Department of Tropical Nutrition and Food Science, ² Department of Tropical Radioisotopes, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Rachavithi Road, Bangkok 10400 Thailand
³ Department of Home Economics, Faculty of Science, Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok, Thailand

ABSTRACT
This study was conducted to investigate the dietary patterns of Thais living in different cultures. Ninety-eight healthy Thai men and women aged 18-55 years were recruited from several regions of Germany, and compared with 100 healthy Thai men and women aged 17-56 years living in Thailand. A food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) with 85 food items and 24-h recall was used to assess the amounts and frequency of energy and nutrient intake especially fat. Body weight and height were measured to assess weight changes in the subjects. Socio-economic and health status information was gathered through interviews. The “Nutrisurvey” dietary analysis software was used to analyse the nutrient intakes of the subjects. Statistical analysis was done using Strata version 5.0. The results showed higher intakes of energy, protein and fat by the Thais living in Germany than those in Thailand. Rice was the staple food of both groups. The average age-adjusted BMI for Thais in Germany was 27.8 ± 0.7 kg/m2 for men and 27.8 ± 1.1 kg/m2 for women. There were no statistically significant differences in the BMI between the Thais in Germany and in Thailand for men and women. A high consumption of fat is associated with weight increase among the Thais in Germany. Dietary lifestyles in the Thai population in Thailand are also shifting towards increasing fat consumption. Nutrition education is important to reduce the continued rise of obesity among Thai adults.

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