2020-2021 Grant in Aid of Research
Socioeconomic Risk Factors That Influence Vegetarianism among Seventh-day Adventist Hispanic Americans
Ana Howard
The purpose of this study is to determine levels of income, education, occupation, and health education knowledge in Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Hispanic Americans age 18 and older. Additionally, this will help determine how these socioeconomic factors influence dietary changes and adherence to a vegetarian diet in SDA Hispanic Americans. There are very few studies that specifically look at SDA Hispanic Americans’ socioeconomic risk factors in association with vegetarianism. Although the Adventist Health Study-2 contributed to the research in vegetarianism the majority of the subjects were either Caucasian or Black. Hispanics accounted for a small portion of the population due to the unavailability of a bilingual questionnaire. To rectify this situation the questionnaire and consent forms are translated into Spanish. Primary data will be collected from a cross-sectional self-administered online questionnaire. A pilot will be conducted at an SDA Hispanic Church in North Carolina to gain feedback on any revisions that might need to be made on the questionnaire. Afterwards a randomized sample will be taken to create a sample size. Chi-square test of independence will be used to determine any associations between categorical variables and vegetarianism individually. The logistic regression tests will help determine if income, education, occupation, and health knowledge predict vegetarianism in SDA Hispanic Americans. Understanding the factors that influence this ethnic groups’ dietary choices is vital in creating health programs that can encourage better health outcomes.