What the study found
The study found that Hungarian Roma participants generally described a healthy diet in ways that aligned with dietary guidelines, such as eating more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and fresh, natural foods. Their views were also most strongly associated with how they rated their own eating habits.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors say this matters because the Roma population has an increased risk of diet-related non-communicable diseases, and understanding perceptions of healthy eating may help improve dietary quality and address diet disparities. The findings indicate that health-promotion strategies may need to consider sociocultural factors.
What the researchers tested
The researchers conducted a cross-sectional study of 300 Roma adults in Hungary. They used a telephone survey to ask about perceptions of a healthy diet, household dietary diversity, foodways, weight status, and socioeconomic status, and then analyzed associations using t-test, one-way ANOVA, linear regression, and chi-square tests.
What worked and what didn't
Respondents associated healthy eating with vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fresh and natural foods, and a balanced, varied diet that supports overall health. The perception of healthy diet score differed significantly by sex and age group, and self-perceived healthy eating was the strongest predictor of the score; age also had moderate explanatory power.
What to keep in mind
The abstract describes a cross-sectional study, so it captures associations at one point in time rather than changes over time. The findings also state that perceptions were not influenced by all socioeconomic factors, BMI, or economic access to food, but no additional limitations are described in the available summary.
Key points
- Hungarian Roma participants generally linked healthy eating with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fresh foods.
- Their perceptions of a healthy diet were broadly aligned with healthy diet guidelines.
- Self-perceived healthy eating was the strongest predictor of the healthy diet perception score.
- Perceptions differed significantly by sex and age group.
- The abstract reports no influence from all socioeconomic factors, BMI, or economic access to food.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Hungarian Roma perceptions of healthy diet largely matched dietary guidelines
- Authors:
- Anna Kiss, Brigitta Plasek, Zoltán Lakner, Sándor Soós, Ágoston Temesi
- Institutions:
- Centre for Sexuality and Health Research and Policy, Eötvös Loránd University, Library and Information Centre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Library and Information Centre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Magyar Agrár- és Élettudományi Egyetem, Magyar Agrár- és Élettudományi Egyetem, Magyar Agrár- és Élettudományi Egyetem, Tashkent State Agrarian University
- Publication date:
- 2026-03-09
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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