According to a study presented on Wednesday at an American Association for Cancer Research conference, many African-American women living in Washington, D.C. public housing do not have the healthy eating habits that could reduce their risk for cancer, Reuters reports (Bigg, Reuters, 11/28). The four-day conference is titled, "The Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved" (AACR release, 11/28).

The study examined 156 women living in Washington, D.C., public housing. Researchers calculated participants' daily consumption of fruit and vegetables, alcohol, calories, percentage of fat intake and adherence to USDA's Healthy Eating Index, which measures the overall quality of diet. Researchers found that 61% of participants met none or one of five goals for maintaining a healthy diet. Fewer than 1% of the participants met all the standards in each category, although 64% reported no alcohol consumption on the days they were interviewed (Reuters, 11/28). The standards were suggested as ways to reduce cancer risk (AARC release, 11/28).

The study also found that younger women were more likely to eat unhealthy, convenience food than older women. Younger women also appeared to lack the skills needed to develop a healthy diet, according to the study. The study also found a link between depression, smoking and poor diet.

Ann Klassen, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health, said, "African-American women ... face a worse cancer incidence and mortality rate than most other ethnic groups, and poor African-American women are at an even greater disadvantage" (Reuters, 11/28). She added, "Improving diet is one effective way to help these women lower their risk for developing cancer" (AARC release, 11/28).

Klassen said, "We believe that there are structural factors in society that make it more difficult for low-income people to modify their lifestyle in a way that they might know are healthy" (Reuters, 11/28).

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