UCLA

Problem: Black women are the most at-risk group for heart disease and related diseases in the United States. The communities where Black women reside are often positioned in food deserts flooded with ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and devoid of nutritious food options, both of which perpetuate food addiction (FA). A possible link between the social determinants of heart disease in Black women and UPF consumption has yet to be examined in depth.

Hypothesis: Common social, behavioral, and economic factors contribute to Black women’s heart disease. Moreover, Black women’s heart disease is positively correlated with excess UPC consumption, rendering UPF an extraordinary risk factor for heart disease in Black women.

Methods: This case study uses a self-administered demographic questionnaire and one-on-one conversational interviews from 2 Black women diagnosed with heart disease. The interviews inquired about several topics, including mental health, exercise and activity, eating patterns, and a food frequency questionnaire. The questionnaires and interview responses are analyzed to identify similar themes between the two participants and available literature. Overall, the interviews adopted a life course approach to identify dietary patterns and changes to dietary patterns as responses to life events and the intersectionality experienced by Black women.

Findings: The interviews revealed key factors that contribute to the social determinants of Black women’s heart health. Black women’s roles as lifelong primary caregivers and providers render them particularly vulnerable to developing FAs in response to chronic stress. Although Black women are aware of the negative impact of poor diet and low exercise on their health, lack of time, resources, and social disconnect from healthcare providers generates a gap between Black women's awareness and practice of healthy dietary behaviors. Generally, Black women are unaware of the harmful effects of UPFs on heart health and vitality. More empirical research should be conducted to examine Black women’s excess UPF consumption and disproportionate burden of heart disease.

Study and Implications: The study results support an experiment-based intervention that will examine UPF and heart disease in Black women. The results also support anti-UPFs policies such as restrictions on fast food enterprises and availability of UPFs at small-scale grocers and supermarkets. The findings can also be used to tailor medical policies, including wide scale requirements for ethnic nutrition studies in formal medical education. In addition, the results can be used to introduce culturally sensitive food-based preventative care in the clinical setting and provide information for local community interventions.