Abstract
Hispanic adults in the United States face disproportionate rates of cardiometabolic disease, yet sex-specific disparities in diet quality remain understudied. PURPOSE: To determine diet quality among middle-aged Hispanic adults, assessing carbohydrate quality based on the carbohydrate-to-fiber ratio (CFR) and protein density as indicators of metabolic risk. METHODS: A total of 30 males and 49 females between 40 to 70 years old participated in a cross-sectional analysis of body composition and dietary behavior. Participants underwent girth measurements, a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan, and completed a paper-based 3-day dietary recall log. Dietary data were manually entered by researchers using an online dietary analysis software. Univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) adjusted for age was used to examine sex differences, with significance set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: Men (39.6% Carbs, 37.5% Fat, 20.7% Prot) and women (39.3% Carbs, 39.8% Fat, 20.5% Prot) had similar macronutrient breakdown (percentage estimates adjusted to age). However, there was a significant [F(1, 76) = 11.160, p = 0.001, partial η2 = 0.128] difference in the CFR between sexes. Specifically, the CFR for men and women was 14.4 ± 0.9 and 10.7 ± 0.7, respectively. Moreover, there was a significant difference [F(1, 76) = 8.830, p = 0.004, partial η2 = 0.104] in protein intake standardized to fat-free mass (FFM). Men averaged an intake of 1.9 ± 0.1 g· kg-1 FFM whereas women averaged an intake of 2.2 ± 0.1 g· kg-1 FFM. Lastly, while there was no sex difference in body fat percentage (Men: 36.2 ± 1.6%; Women: 36.6 ± 1.3%), there was a significant difference [F(1, 76) = 96.336, p 2 = 0.559] in waist-to-hip-ratio (WHR). Men had an average WHR of 0.96 ± 0.01 and women of 0.82 ± 0.01. CONCLUSION: Despite similar macronutrient distributions and total body fat percentages, men exhibited significantly worse carbohydrate quality (higher CFR) and lower protein density relative to FFM compared to women. This poorer diet quality in men was paralleled by a significantly higher WHR, indicative of elevated central adiposity. These findings reveal a distinct, high-risk metabolic phenotype in Hispanic men driven by refined carbohydrate consumption and abdominal obesity, suggesting that sex-specific interventions must move beyond simple macronutrient counting to target specific metrics of diet quality like CFR.
Recommended Citation
Graña Gedrange, Cristina; Perez, Mia I.; Guadiana, Marcela; Cantu, Nicole; and Moris, Jose M.
(2026)
"Sex Differences in Carbohydrate Quality: Assessing the Carbohydrate-to-Fiber Ratio in Middle-Aged Hispanic Adults,"
International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 2:
Iss.
18, Article 75.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol2/iss18/75
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Health and Physical Education Commons, Medical Education Commons, Sports Sciences Commons