Bread type intake is associated with lifestyle and diet quality transition among Bedouin Arab adults

The traditionally semit-nomadic Bedouin Arabs in Israel are undergoing urbanisation with concurrent lifestyle changes, including a shift to using unfortified white-flour bread instead of wholewheat bread as (he main dietary staple We explored associations between the transition front wholewheat to white-flour bread and (1) lifestyle factors. (2) overall diet quality. and (3) health status We conducted a nutrition survey among 451 Bedouin adults, using a modified 24 h recall questionnaire Bread intake accounted for 32 7 % of the total energy intake Those consuming predominantly white bread (PWB) (n 327) were more likely to be urban (OR 2 79. 95 % CI 1 707 4 58). eating store-bought rather than homemade bread (Oil 8 18: 95 % CI 4.34. 15 4 1) and currently dieting (OR 4.67: 93 % CI 1.28. 17.11) than those consuming predominantly wholewheat. bread (PWWB) (n 124) PWB consumption was associated with a lower intake of dietary fibre (23.3 (SE 0 6) v 41 8 (si: 1 0) g/d; P:5 0 00 1) it higher intake of saturated fats (26 9 v. 24.6 % of total fat: P=0013) and lower intakes of Fe (I 1 0 (SE 0 3) v. 16 7 (SE 0 4) mg/d), Mg (262 2 (si 5 9) v 490 3 (SE 9 8) mg/d). vitamin E (6 5 (SE 0 2) v 8 6 (SE 0 3) mg/d) and most B vitamins than PWWB consumption (P<0.00 1 for all), after adjusting for total energy intake Among those aged a 40 years, PWB consumption was associated with a 9.85-fold risk (95 % CI 2 64, 36 7 1, P=0.001) of having one or more chronic conditions, as compared with PWWB consumption, after controlling for other risk- factors White bread intake was associated with a less traditional lifestyle and poorer diet quality. and may constitute a useful marker for at-risk Subgroups to target for nutritional interventions