A need for diet assessment technology for South Asians living in the USA

Abstract

AbstractSouth Asians are among the fastest growing ethnic group in the USA yet remain understudied in epidemiologic studies. Due to their unique disease profile, identifying risk moderators and mitigators, such as dietary patterns and food intake, will help to determine the diet–disease relationship that is specific to this largely immigrant population group in the USA. The aim of this commentary is to highlight the dietary traditions and acculturated practices experienced by South Asians in the USA with a call for a diet assessment instrument that adequately captures their dietary diversity. Specifically, we call for (i) the inclusion of traditional food items, such as herbs and spices, that individualize diet assessment for participants; and (ii) leveraging technology that will enhance the experience of diet assessment for both researchers and participants, tailoring the collection of habitual dietary intake in this diverse population group.