Dietary habits and exercise behaviours in persons at risk for peripheral arterial disease: A pilot study

BackgroundTo determine dietary habits, exercise behaviours and knowledge of disease in a racially diverse group of patients at risk for peripheral arterial disease (PAD).MethodsAn ethnically diverse cohort of persons age ≥39 years with at least one traditional risk factor for PAD was recruited. We obtained data on ethnicity, exercise behaviour, eating patterns and PAD knowledge.ResultsOf the 50 participants who completed screening for PAD, the mean age was 64.4±11.5 years and 15 (30%) were African American, 12 (24%) were Latino, 13 (26%) were Native American, and 10 (20%) were white. The scores and standard errors for avoiding fried foods were 2.80 (0.11) for African Americans, 3.06 (0.13) for Latinos, 3.54 (0.13) for Native Americans (p=0.0002), and 3.31 (0.11) for whites. Mean minutes of weekly exercise were not significantly different by group. Traditional risk factors for PAD were identified by 28% of participants prior to video presentations as compared to 60% following the presentations.ConclusionAfrican Americans were more likely to eat fried foods than other ethnicities. Efforts are needed to identify novel approaches to improve dietary habits and levels of physical activity in individuals at risk for PAD.