Dietary beliefs in health and illness among a Hong Kong community

Dietary adjustment for health promotion and maintenance and for helping the body to expedite its recovery from illness condotions has been part and parcel of the Chinese medical culture. The paper reports on the extent traditional dietary beliefs in health and illness persist in a fast changing Hong Kong community. It explores the community interpretation of the role of diet therapy; and the relationship of social demographic variables with peoples' tendency to give traditional dietary suggestions. Traditional beliefs were found to be quite prevalent. Differentiation in responses was seen for different types of belief concepts. Over 80% of respondents had strong belief in the role of diet in expediting recovery during illnesses. Measles and anaemia were used as indicators to look at the types of foods suggested for consumption or avoidance and the rationale behind the suggestions. Explanations of diet therapy for measles were in general traditionally based and that for anaemia were based on a mix of traditional and modern concepts. While there is a tendency for the more Chinese culturally affiliated in this study population to have stronger traditional food beliefs, the relationship of social demographic factors with the tendency to give dietary suggestions for specific diseases are not clear. Diet therapy is a form of self-care and is an inseparable part of the total health care system in the community. The efficacy of traditional food remedies and the role of diet therapy in self-care should be further explored.