Author and graduation date: Pei-Ju TSAI, November, 1999

Committee members: Audrey A. Spindler (Chair), Peter R. Francis, P. J. E. Quintana

Thesis title: Food Safety Knowledge and Chinese Dietary Therapy Concepts Among Chinese in America

Immigrants may retain their food preparation methods and food beliefs for a long time in their new homes. The ancient Chinese Dietary Therapy (CDT) system suggested that foods or combinations of foods had roles similar to the modern concept of functional foods. Food preparation methods migrate as people move. As global markets increase and populations migrate, there is a greater likelihood for outbreaks of food borne illnesses. The purposes of this study were to survey the Chinese people living in the USA about: 1) their knowledge of and belief in CDT and Yin/Yang food concepts, particularly as they related the peri-natal period or "building blood", and 2) their food safety knowledge and beliefs. Ten professionals with backgrounds in nutrition-related fields validated the CDT portion and 21 experts validated the food safety section of the questionnaire. Thirty-two subjects with Chinese ancestry in Vancouver, Canada completed the questionnaire to pilot test the survey. Subjects were recruited by collaborators from six locations in the USA. The valid return rate was 55% (384/705) and 224 women and 160 men served as subjects. The sample of subjects was a convenient sample, non-random, and non-representative. Most of the subjects were between the ages of 18-39, highly educated, the first generation of immigrants, and born in Taiwan or China. Findings of this study indicated that many subjects still understand or follow some aspects of Yin/Yang (Cold/Hot) food concepts. Subjects reported that Yin foods were: watermelon, mung bean, cucumber, orange, and tomato and Yang foods were: ginger, mutton, beef and garlic. For blood-building, pork liver, tangkuei (Chinese angelica root) and red jujubes (Chinese dates) were often recommended. For pregnant women, pork liver, red jujubes, ginseng chicken soup, and tangkuei were often suggested. Sesame oil chicken soup was most often recommended for postpartum women, followed by ginseng chicken soup, pork liver, and pork kidney. Men earned higher scores than women on the food safety knowledge test but no significant difference existed between sexes. Most (85%) subjects did not know food should not be cooled to room temperature before refrigerating. Similar to the American population as a whole, many Chinese-American subjects (52%) often thawed frozen food at room temperature, an unsafe practice. Following a typical pattern for Americans, few subjects (<35%) were able to identify food vectors specifically associated with given microorganisms such as Campylobacter, Salmonella, and E. coli (0157:H7). Health practitioners need to understand that many Chinese still follow the principles of CDT with or without the use of western medicine. These data may be used to target specific areas of food safety in educational programs designed for Chinese people residing in the US.

Click here to return to the Completed Master Degree Theses in Nutritional Science Table of Contents