Nutritional habits of blacks and whites

Epidemiologic investigations have implicated various dietary practices in the etiology of prostatic and esophageal cancer. These factors may contribute to differences in cancer incidence observed between blacks and whites in the United States. Data from the Health and Nutrition Examination Survey are reviewed to explore the possibility that excess disease rates in nonwhites may be attributed to differing dietary practices. These data are of some value in explaining differences in cancer incidence between blacks and whites and are of special value as exploratory tools pointing toward fruitful areas of future research.