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Abstract Background To evaluate the U.K. Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) and Framingham risk equations for predicting short-term risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) events among adults with long-standing type 2 diabetes, including those with and without preexisting CHD. Methods Prospective cohort of U.S. managed care enrollees aged ≥ 18 years and mean diabetes duration of more than 10 years, participating in the Translating Research into Action for Diabetes (TRIAD) study, was followed for the first occurrence of CHD events from 2000 to 2003. The UKPDS and Framingham risk equations were evaluated for discriminating power and calibration. Results A total of 8303 TRIAD participants, were identified to evaluate the UKPDS (n = 5914, 120 events), Framingham-initial (n = 5914, 218 events) and Framingham-secondary (n = 2389, 374 events) risk equations, according to their prior CHD history. All of these equations exhibited low discriminating power with Harrell’s c-index

ObjectiveTo determine whether competing demands for time affect diabetes self-care behaviors, processes of care, and intermediate outcomes.Research design and methodsWe used survey and medical record data from 5,478 participants in Translating Research Into Action for Diabetes (TRIAD) and hierarchical regression models to examine the cross-sectional associations between competing demands for time and diabetes outcomes, including self-management, processes of care, and intermediate health outcomes.ResultsFifty-two percent of participants reported no competing demands, 7% reported caregiving responsibilities only, 36% reported employment responsibilities only, and 6% reported both caregiving and employment responsibilities. For both women and men, employment responsibilities (with or without caregiving responsibilities) were associated with lower rates of diabetes self-care behaviors, worse processes of care, and, in men, worse HbA(1c).ConclusionsAccommodations for competing demands for time may promote self-management and improve the processes and outcomes of care for employed adults with diabetes.

BackgroundOur understanding of social disparities in diabetes-related health behaviors is incomplete. The purpose of this study was to determine if having less education is associated with poorer diabetes-related health behaviors.MethodsThis observational study was based on a cohort of 8,763 survey respondents drawn from ~180,000 patients with diabetes receiving care from 68 provider groups in ten managed care health plans across the United States. Self-reported survey data included individual educational attainment ("education") and five diabetes self-care behaviors among individuals for whom the behavior would clearly be indicated: foot exams (among those with symptoms of peripheral neuropathy or a history of foot ulcers); self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG; among insulin users only); smoking; exercise; and certain diabetes-related health seeking behaviors (use of diabetes health education, website, or support group in last 12 months). Predicted probabilities were modeled at each level of self-reported educational attainment using hierarchical logistic regression models with random effects for clustering within health plans.ResultsPatients with less education had significantly lower predicted probabilities of being a non-smoker and engaging in regular exercise and health-seeking behaviors, while SMBG and foot self-examination did not vary by education. Extensive adjustment for patient factors revealed no discernable confounding effect on the estimates or their significance, and most education-behavior relationships were similar across sex, race and other patient characteristics. The relationship between education and smoking varied significantly across age, with a strong inverse relationship in those aged 25-44, modest for those ages 45-64, but non-evident for those over 65. Intensity of disease management by the health plan and provider communication did not alter the examined education-behavior relationships. Other measures of socioeconomic position yielded similar findings.ConclusionThe relationship between educational attainment and health behaviors was modest in strength for most behaviors. Over the life course, the cumulative effect of reduced practice of multiple self-care behaviors among less educated patients may play an important part in shaping the social health gradient.

Objectives. We assessed educational disparities in smoking rates among adults with diabetes in managed care settings. Methods. We used a cross-sectional, survey-based (2002-2003) observational study among 6538 diabetic patients older than 25 years across multiple managed care health plans and states. For smoking at each level of self-reported educational attainment, predicted probabilities were estimated by means of hierarchical logistic regression models with random intercepts for health plan, adjusted for potential confounders. Results. Overall, 15% the participants reported current smoking. An educational gradient in smoking was observed that varied significantly (P Conclusions. Approximately half of poorly educated young adults with diabetes smoke, magnifying the health risk associated with early-onset diabetes. Targeted public health interventions for smoking prevention and cessation among young, poorly educated people with diabetes are needed. (Am J Public Health. 2008;98:365-370. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2005.083501)

Abstract Background Our understanding of social disparities in diabetes-related health behaviors is incomplete. The purpose of this study was to determine if having less education is associated with poorer diabetes-related health behaviors. Methods This observational study was based on a cohort of 8,763 survey respondents drawn from ~180,000 patients with diabetes receiving care from 68 provider groups in ten managed care health plans across the United States. Self-reported survey data included individual educational attainment ("education") and five diabetes self-care behaviors among individuals for whom the behavior would clearly be indicated: foot exams (among those with symptoms of peripheral neuropathy or a history of foot ulcers); self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG; among insulin users only); smoking; exercise; and certain diabetes-related health seeking behaviors (use of diabetes health education, website, or support group in last 12 months). Predicted probabilities were modeled at each level of self-reported educational attainment using hierarchical logistic regression models with random effects for clustering within health plans. Results Patients with less education had significantly lower predicted probabilities of being a non-smoker and engaging in regular exercise and health-seeking behaviors, while SMBG and foot self-examination did not vary by education. Extensive adjustment for patient factors revealed no discernable confounding effect on the estimates or their significance, and most education-behavior relationships were similar across sex, race and other patient characteristics. The relationship between education and smoking varied significantly across age, with a strong inverse relationship in those aged 25–44, modest for those ages 45–64, but non-evident for those over 65. Intensity of disease management by the health plan and provider communication did not alter the examined education-behavior relationships. Other measures of socioeconomic position yielded similar findings. Conclusion The relationship between educational attainment and health behaviors was modest in strength for most behaviors. Over the life course, the cumulative effect of reduced practice of multiple self-care behaviors among less educated patients may play an important part in shaping the social health gradient.

Objectives. This study estimated the prevalence of self-rated visual impairment among US adults with diabetes and identified correlates of such impairment. Methods. Self-reported data from the 1995 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey of adults 18 years and older with diabetes were analyzed. Correlates of visual impairment were examined by multiple logistic regression analysis. Results. The prevalence of self-rated visual impairment was 24.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 22.3%, 27.3%). Among insulin users, multivariable-adjusted odds ratios were 4.9 (95% CI = 2.6, 9.2) for those who had not completed high school and 1.8 (95% CI = 1.0, 2.8) for those who had completed high school compared with those with higher levels of education. Comparable estimates of odds ratios for nonusers of insulin were 2.2 (95% CI = 1.4, 3.4) and 1.3 (95% CI = 0.9, 2.0), respectively. Among nonusers, the adjusted odds for minority adults were 2.4 (95% CI = 1.0, 3.7) times the odds for non-Hispanic Whites. Conclusions. By these data, 1.6 million US adults with diabetes reported having some degree of visual impairment. Future research on the specific causes of visual impairment may help in estimating the avoidable public health burden. (Am J Public Health. 1999:89:1200-1205)

Objectives. We examined the relationship between socioeconomic position (SEP) and sensory impairment. Methods. We used data from the 2007 to 2010 National Health Interview Surveys (n = 69 845 adults). Multivariable logistic regressions estimated odds ratios (ORs) for associations of educational attainment, occupational class, and poverty-income ratio with impaired vision or hearing. Results. Nearly 20% of respondents reported sensory impairment. Each SEP indicator was negatively associated with sensory impairment. Adjusted odds of vision impairment were significantly higher for farm workers (OR = 1.41; 95% confidence interval [Cl] = 1.01, 2.02), people with some college (OR = 1.29; 95% Cl = 1.16, 1.44) or less than a high school diploma (OR = 1.36; 95% Cl = 1.19, 1.55), and people from poor (OR = 1.35; 95% Cl = 1.20, 1.52), low-income (OR = 1.28; 95% Cl = 1.14, 1.43), or middle-income (OR = 1.19; 95% Cl = 1.07, 1.31) families than for the highest-SEP group. Odds of hearing impairment were significantly higher for people with some college or less education than for those with a college degree or more; for service groups, farmers, and blue-collar workers than for white-collar workers; and for people in poor families. Conclusions. More research is needed to understand the SEP-sensory impairment association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the prevalence of diabetes in the U.S. from 2006-2010. It states that the report aims to discuss and raise awareness about group differences of diabetes diagnosis and to provide actions to reduce these differences. Moreover, it found that significant differences for race and ethnicity occurred among non-Hispanic whites and non-Hispanic blacks or Hispanics.

The article aims to discuss and raise awareness regarding group differences in levels of poverty and noncompletion of high school and poverty, and to motivate actions to reduce health disparities. Topics discussed include the Current Population Survey (CPS), persistence of racial or ethnic socioeconomic and geographic disparities in noncompletion of high school and poverty in the country, and income and educational attainment.

OBJECTIVE--To examine the relationship between access to health care and diabetes control. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS--Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999--2008, we identified 1,221 U.S. adults (age 18--64 years) with self-reported diabetes. Access was measured by current health insurance coverage, number of times health care was received over the past year, and routine place to go for health care. Diabetes control measures included the proportion of people with A1C >9%, blood pressure ≥140/90 mmHg, and non-HDL cholesterol ≥130 mg/dL. RESULTS--An estimated 16.0% of known diabetic adults were uninsured. Diabetes control profiles were worse among uninsured than among insured persons (A1C >9% [34.1 vs. 16.5%, P = 0.002], blood pressure ≥140/90 mmHg [31.8 vs. 22.8%, P < 0.05], and non-HDL cholesterol ≥130 mg/dL [67.1 vs. 65.4%, P = 0.7]). Compared with insured persons, uninsured persons were more likely to have A1C >9% (multivariate-adjusted odds ratio 2.4 [95% CI 1.2--4.7]). Compared with those who reported four or more health care visits in the past year, those who reported no health care visits were more likely to have A1C.9%(5.5 [1.2--26.3]) and blood pressure ≥140/90 mmHg (1.9 [1.1--3.4]). CONCLUSIONS--In people with diabetes, lack of health care coverage is associated with poor glycemic control. In addition, low use of health care service is associated with poor glucose and blood pressure control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To evaluate the U.K. Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) and Framingham risk equations for predicting short-term risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) events among adults with long-standing type 2 diabetes, including those with and without preexisting CHD. Methods: Prospective cohort of U.S. managed care enrollees aged ≥ 18 years and mean diabetes duration of more than 10 years, participating in the Translating Research into Action for Diabetes (TRIAD) study, was followed for the first occurrence of CHD events from 2000 to 2003. The UKPDS and Framingham risk equations were evaluated for discriminating power and calibration. Results: A total of 8303 TRIAD participants, were identified to evaluate the UKPDS (n = 5914, 120 events), Framingham-initial (n = 5914, 218 events) and Framingham-secondary (n = 2389, 374 events) risk equations, according to their prior CHD history. All of these equations exhibited low discriminating power with Harrell's c-index <0.65. All except the Framingham-initial equation for women and the Framingham-secondary equation for men had low levels of calibration. After adjsusting for the average values of predictors and event rates in the TRIAD population, the calibration of these equations greatly improved. Conclusions: The UKPDS and Framingham risk equations may be inappropriate for predicting the short-term risk of CHD events in patients with long-standing type 2 diabetes, partly due to changes in medications used by patients with diabetes and other improvements in clinical care since the Frmaingham and UKPDS studies were conducted. Refinement of these equations to reflect contemporary CHD profiles, diagnostics and therapies are needed to provide reliable risk estimates to inform effective treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the prevalence and incidence of diabetes in the U.S. from 2004-2008. Topics include analysis of data from the 2004 and 2008 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to determine disparities in medically diagnosed diabetes, prevalence and incidence of diabetes among different demographic groups including whites, Asians, and Hispanics, and correlation between sociodemographic factors and prevalence and incidence of diabetes.

The article discusses the association of education and income with health disparities in the U.S. from 2005 and 2009. Topics include the prevalence of poverty and noncompletion of high school as examined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series - Current Population Survey (IPUMS-CPS) data, the change in disparity during the period, and consistency of disparities with sociodemographic differences.

Objectives. We examined the role of family history of diabetes in awareness of diabetes risk factors and engaging in health behaviors. Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 1122 African American adults without diabetes who were participants in Project DIRECT (Diabetes Interventions Reaching and Educating Communities Together). Results. After adjustment for age, gender, income, education, body mass index, and perceived health status, African Americans with a family history of diabetes were more aware than those without such a history of several diabetes risk factors: having a family member with the disease (relative risk [RR]=1.09; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.03, 1.15), being overweight (RR=1.12; 95% CI=1.05, 1.18), not exercising (RR=1.17; 95% CI=1.07, 1.27), and consuming energy-dense foods (RR=1.10; 95% CI=1.00, 1.17). Also, they were more likely to consume 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day (RR=1.31; 95% CI=1.02, 1.66) and to have been screened for diabetes (RR=1.21; 95% CI=1.12, 1.29). Conclusions. African Americans with a family history of diabetes were more aware of diabetes risk factors and more likely to engage in certain health behaviors than were African Americans without a family history of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Letters to the editor referring to a recent Journal article are encouraged up to 3 months after the article's appearance. By submitting a letter to the editor, the author gives permission for its publication in the Journal. Letters should not duplicate material being published or submitted elsewhere. The editors reserve the right to edit and abridge letters and to publish responses. Text is limited to 400 words and 10 references. Submit online at www.editorialmanager.com/ajph for immediate Web posting, or at ajph.edmgr.com for later print publication. Online responses are automatically considered for print publication. Queries should be addressed to the Editor-in-Chief, Mary E. Northridge, PhD, MPH, at men6@nyu.edu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent data suggest that the residential environment may independently influence health behaviors and outcomes. We assessed whether an individual's perception of neighborhood was associated with diabetes behaviors and outcomes after adjustment for an objective measure of neighborhood, as well as individual-level socioeconomic status and other potential confounders. This cross-sectional analysis included 7,830 diabetic adults enrolled in Translating Research Into Action for Diabetes (TRIAD), a study of diabetes care and out-comes in managed care settings. Perception of neighborhood was measured using a summary score of participants' ratings of problems including crime, trash and litter, lighting at night, and access to exercise facilities, transportation, and supermarkets. Scores were categorized into tertiles (higher tertiles indicate fewer perceived problems). Outcomes included health behaviors (smoking, physical activity, glucose self-monitoring, foot care) and intermediate outcomes (HbA1c, lipids, blood pressure (BP), SF-12 health status). Hierarchical regression models were used to account for clustering of patients within neighborhoods and to adjust for objective neighborhood (% living in poverty) and potential individual-level confounders (age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, income, co-morbidity index, duration of diabetes). After adjustment, in the lowest tertile (more perceived problems) vs. highest tertile (fewest perceived problems), rates were higher for current smoking (15 vs. 11%) and slightly lower, albeit not clinically significant, for participating in any weekly physical activity (95 vs. 96%). Furthermore, BP control was worse (25% vs. 31%, <130/80 mmHg), and scores were slightly worse on the SF-12 (44 vs. 46 units for emotional well being and 42 vs. 45 units for physical well being), all P<0.01. No other outcomes were significantly associated with perceptions of neighborhood; results were similar in unadjusted and adjusted analyses. After accounting for objective neighborhood, perceived neighborhood problems were associated with several diabetes-related outcomes. The strongest associations, smoking and BP, have significant implications for cardiovascular risk and the mechanisms should be further explored in longitudinal studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic retinopathy is found commonly among African Americans in the U.S. However, very few studies have examined the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy and use of preventive eye care services among African American communities. Project DIRECT (Diabetes Intervention Reaching and Educating Communities Together) is the first community project to attempt a comprehensive approach reducing the burden of diabetes in African American communities. We analyzed data from participants with self-reported diabetes (n=1,366; 646 in 1996-1997 and 720 in 2003-2004) in Raleigh (intervention community) and Greensboro (comparison community), North Carolina. All analyses were weighted to adjust for the complex sample design of pre- and post-cross-sectional surveys and to make prevalence estimates representative of the sample population. Estimates were age-standardized by the direct method to the 2000 U.S. Census population. In Raleigh, the age-standardized prevalence of diabetic retinopathy was 41.6% in 1997 and 38.5% in 2004; in Greensboro, the prevalence was 38.5% and 38.1%. The age-standardized proportion of persons who had a dilated eye exam in the preceding 12 months was 63.9% (1997) and 68.4% (2004) in Raleigh and 58.3% (1997) and 62.3% (2004) in Greensboro. Between 1996-97 and 2003-04, the age-standardized proportion of persons who received eye care education about the need for yearly eye exam increased by 0.3 percentage points in Greensboro, but decreased 1.5 percentage points in Raleigh. We found no evidence of difference between the control and intervention populations (p>0.05). After adjusting for age, gender, race, marital status, education, income, and health insurance, eye care education among African Americans with diabetes was independently associated with the use of dilated eye exam (OR: 1.62 in Raleigh; 2.17 in Greensboro). In conclusion, diabetic retinopathy continues to be a considerable problem among African American communities. Community intervention efforts such as comprehensive eye care education may be needed to specifically target improvement in diabetic retinopathy and use of eye care services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Given the importance of family history in the early detection and prevention of type 2 diabetes, we quantified the public health impact of reported family health history on diagnosed diabetes (DD), undiagnosed diabetes (UD), and prediabetes (PD) in the United States., Methods: We used population data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2014 to measure the association of reported family history of diabetes with DD, UD, and PD., Results: Using polytomous logistic regression and multivariable adjustment, family history prevalence ratios were 4.27 (confidence interval (CI): 3.57, 5.12) for DD, 2.03 (CI: 1.56, 2.63) for UD, and 1.26 (CI: 1.09, 1.44) for PD. In the United States, we estimate that 10.1 million DD cases, 1.4 million UD cases, and 3.9 million PD cases can be attributed to having a family history of diabetes., Conclusion: These findings confirm that family history of diabetes has a major public health impact on diabetes in the United States. In spite of the recent interest and focus on genomics and precision medicine, family health history continues to be an integral component of public health campaigns to identify persons at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes and early detection of diabetes to prevent or delay complications.

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus has increased rapidly in the United States since the mid-1990s. By 2014, an estimated 29.1 million persons, or 9.3% of the total population, had received a diagnosis of diabetes (1). Recent evidence indicates that the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes among non-Hispanic black (black), Hispanic, and poorly educated adults continues to increase but has leveled off among non-Hispanic whites (whites) and persons with higher education (2). During 2004-2010, CDC reported marked racial/ethnic and socioeconomic position disparities in diabetes prevalence and increases in the magnitude of these disparities over time (3). However, the magnitude and extent of temporal change in socioeconomic position disparities in diagnosed diabetes among racial/ethnic populations are unknown. CDC used data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) for the periods 1999-2002 and 2011-2014 to assess the magnitude of and change in socioeconomic position disparities in the age-standardized prevalence of diagnosed diabetes in the overall population and among blacks, whites, and Hispanics. During each period, significant socioeconomic position disparities existed in the overall population and among the assessed racial/ethnic populations. Disparities in prevalence increased with increasing socioeconomic disadvantage and widened over time among Hispanics and whites but not among blacks. The persistent widening of the socioeconomic position gap in prevalence suggests that interventions to reduce the risk for diabetes might have a different impact according to socioeconomic position.

Monitoring national trends in disparities in different diseases could provide measures to evaluate the impact of intervention programs designed to reduce health disparities. In the US, most of the reports that track health disparities provided either relative or absolute disparities or both. However, these two measures of disparities are not only different in scale and magnitude but also the temporal changes in the magnitudes of these measures can occur in opposite directions. The trends for absolute disparity and relative disparity could move in opposite directions when the prevalence of disease in the two populations being compared either increase or decline simultaneously. If the absolute disparity increases but relative disparity declines for consecutive time periods, the absolute disparity increases but relative disparity declines for the combined time periods even with a larger increase in absolute disparity during the combined time periods. Based on random increases or decreases in prevalence of disease for two population groups, there is a higher chance the trends of these two measures could move in opposite directions when the prevalence of disease for the more advantaged group is very small relative to the prevalence of disease for the more disadvantaged group. When prevalence of disease increase or decrease simultaneously for two populations, the increase or decrease in absolute disparity has to be sufficiently large enough to warrant a corresponding increase or decrease in relative disparity. When absolute disparity declines but relative disparity increases, there is some progress in reducing disparities, but the reduction in absolute disparity is not large enough to also reduce relative disparity. When evaluating interventions to reduce health disparities using these two measures, it is important to consider both absolute and relative disparities and consider all the scenarios discussed in this paper to assess the progress towards reducing or eliminating health disparities.

Objectives: We examined the role of family history of diabetes in awareness of diabetes risk factors and engaging in health behaviors., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 1122 African American adults without diabetes who were participants in Project DIRECT (Diabetes Interventions Reaching and Educating Communities Together)., Results: After adjustment for age, gender, income, education, body mass index, and perceived health status, African Americans with a family history of diabetes were more aware than those without such a history of several diabetes risk factors: having a family member with the disease (relative risk [RR]=1.09; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.03, 1.15), being overweight (RR=1.12; 95% CI=1.05, 1.18), not exercising (RR=1.17; 95% CI=1.07, 1.27), and consuming energy-dense foods (RR=1.10; 95% CI=1.00, 1.17). Also, they were more likely to consume 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day (RR=1.31; 95% CI=1.02, 1.66) and to have been screened for diabetes (RR=1.21; 95% CI=1.12, 1.29)., Conclusions: African Americans with a family history of diabetes were more aware of diabetes risk factors and more likely to engage in certain health behaviors than were African Americans without a family history of the disease.

Background: This study examined whether cardiorespiratory fitness is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction, and all-cause mortality in a low- to middle-income Trinidadian community of African, South Asian Indian, and European origin. Those of Indian descent have a distinctively high rate of myocardial infarction., Methods: The St James Study is a prospective total community survey located in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, West Indies. A random sample of 626 men aged 35-69 years, without angina of effort, previous myocardial infarction, partial or complete atrio-ventricular conduction defect, complete heart block, or exercise-induced asthma, was used for the assessment of cardiorespiratory fitness by cycle ergometry. Surveillance for morbidity and mortality was maintained for an average of 7.3 years., Results: When the subjects were grouped into those with an age- and fat-free mass-adjusted peak oxygen uptake above and below the mean of 60.4 mmol/min (1.34 l/min), the hazard ratios (below/above) (95% confidence interval) for all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease incidence, and incidence of myocardial infarction, after allowance for conventional cardiovascular risk factors, were 2.08 (1.23-3.52), 2.13 (1.22-3.69), and 2.36 (0.84-6.67), respectively. For those unable to achieve a level of work requiring an oxygen uptake of 67 mmol/min (1.5 l/min) during progressive exercise, the respective hazard ratios were 3.49 (1.57-7.76), 2.29 (1.21-4.33), and 5.45 (1.22-24.34). Indian ethnicity remained a predictor of myocardial infarction after allowance for cardiorespiratory performance., Conclusion: Low cardiorespiratory fitness is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality in the low- to middle-income developing community of Trinidad.

Background: African Americans experience high rates of obesity and other chronic diseases, which may be related, in part, to diet. However, little is known about dietary patterns in this population, particularly from population-based data sources., Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted of 2,172 African-American adults in Project DIRECT (Diabetes Interventions Reaching and Educating Communities Together). A baseline assessment was conducted using a multistaged population-based probability sample from Raleigh and Greensboro, NC. Daily fruit, vegetable and fat intake was evaluated using a modified version of the Block questionnaire, and then stratified results were analyzed by sociodemographic, health and behavior characteristics. STATA Survey commands were used to account for the complex survey design., Results: Overall, a very small number of participants met national recommendations for > or = 2 servings of fruit (8%) and > or = 3 servings of vegetables (16%) per day. Many participants reported eating high-fat foods; the average daily fat intake was 86 g, and the average daily intake from saturated fat was 24 g. People with more education and higher incomes had a higher average daily fruit intake (all p < 0.05)., Conclusions: The data suggest that participants' fruit, vegetable and fat intake deviated greatly from national guidelines; older people, women, participants with higher socioeconomic status and those who were physically active consumed healthier foods. These data may be useful in developing dietary and weight loss interventions for African Americans.