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SummaryIntroduction1Definitions of ethnic groups and demographics of minority ethnic groups in the UK○ 1.1 Definitions of 'ethnic groups' and 'ethnicity'○ 1.2 Demographics and characteristics of minority ethnic groups in the UK– Countries of origin– Age/sex distribution and life expectancy– Geographical distribution and size of household– Religious beliefs– Education and employment patternsKey points2Overview of the health profile and dietary habits of minority ethnic groups in the UK○ 2.1 Available surveys○ 2.2 Overview of the health profiles among adults from minority ethnic groups– Overall health– Cardiovascular disease (CVD)– Coronary heart disease (CHD)– Stroke– Type 2 diabetes– Obesity○ 2.3 Possible causes of increased disease risk among minority ethnic groups○ 2.4 Smoking, drinking and physical activity habits○ 2.5 Dietary habits and nutritional status○ 2.6 Overview of the health profiles and dietary and health behaviour patterns of children from minority ethnic groups– Overall health– Diet and health behaviour patterns○ 2.7 Gaps in data availabilityKey points3Factors affecting food choice– Income and socio‐economic status– Food availability and access– Awareness of healthy eating– Religious beliefs– Food beliefs– Time and cooking skills– Generation and genderKey points4Traditional diets of minority ethnic groups○ 4.1 Overview of traditional diets of minority ethic groups– South Asians– African‐Caribbeans– Chinese○ 4.2 Dietary acculturation○ 4.3 Nutritional composition of ethnic‐style cuisineKey points5Nutritional interventions and health promotion among minority ethnic groups○ 5.1 Effective nutritional interventions○ 5.2 Health promotion interventions to prevent problems associated with fasting○ 5.3 Priorities for nutritional interventions and health promotion○ 5.4 Using behaviour change models○ 5.5 Current community initiatives○ 5.6 Catering for institutionalised individuals○ 5.7 Recommendations for future research, policy and practiceKey points6Conclusion• Acknowledgements• References Summary: According to the latest census, non‐white minority ethnic groups made up 7.9% of the UK's population in 2001. The largest of these groups were South Asians, Black African‐Caribbeans and Chinese. Studies have shown that some minority ethnic groups are more likely to experience poorer health outcomes compared with the mainstream population. These include higher rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes and obesity. The differences in health outcomes may reflect interactions between diet and other health behaviours, genetic predisposition and developmental programming, all of which vary across different groups. As is the case for the rest of the population, the dietary habits of minority ethnic groups are affected by a wide variety of factors, but acquiring a better understanding of these can help health professionals and educationalists to recognise the needs of these groups and help them to make healthier food choices. Unfortunately, to date, there have been few tailored, well‐designed and evaluated nutritional interventions in the UK targeting minority ethnic population groups. Further needs assessment and better evaluation of nutritional interventions have been recommended to enhance the understanding of the effectiveness of different approaches amongst minority ethnic groups. This briefing paper will provide an overview of the health profile, dietary habits and other health behaviours of the three largest non‐white minority ethnic groups in the UK, explore the factors affecting their food choices, provide a summary of their traditional diets and review the evidence base to identify the factors that support successful nutrition interventions in these groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible summary • This research is about people with learning disabilities who were referred to the North Belfast social work team. • There were 252 referrals between 1995 and 2005 but only 127 cases were closed. • Over a third of the people being referred had behaviour problems. • There were more people with autism referred in the second half of the 10 years. • A fifth of the people who were referred only found out they had a learning disability when they were aged 16 or over. • People with learning disabilities often have health problems but these were often not mentioned when people were referred. • This research matters to people with learning disabilities because it is important to know what problems people have and what help they need. In order to understand better the needs of clients and to inform the delivery of services, referrals to the North Belfast Learning Disability Social Work Team between 1 January 1996 and 31 December 2005 were studied. The documentary analysis of all 252 referrals during the 10-year period included referral books, social work files and the electronic client-based system Soscare. There were increases in referrals with recorded autism and in those aged 18–25, and high levels of recorded behavioural difficulties. There were low levels of recorded visual impairment, hearing impairment and mental health problems. Twenty-one per cent of referrals were likely to have been diagnosed with a learning disability at age 16 or over. Child referrals showed a broad spectrum of identified need whereas adult referrals were predominantly identified as needing daytime occupation. There was an increase in the team caseload from 364 to 489 over the period caused by the number of referrals exceeding the number of closures every year except 1997. We recommend a greater focus on health status in social work assessments, a review of case management practice and greater inclusion of ‘newly diagnosed’ adolescents and adults in service planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]