Predictors of flaxseed use among Ethiopian immigrants in the United States

OBJECTIVE: To determine sociodemographic factors that affect the use of flaxseed among Ethiopian immigrants in the USA.

METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was carried out to determine the pattern of flaxseed use among 355 Ethiopian immigrants in the USA. Descriptive statistics were utilized to characterize the sample in relation to gender, age, education, income and length of residency in the USA Binary logistic regression analysis was used to determine which factors were associated with use of flaxseed. Multivariate logistic regression was utilized to evaluate which characteristics predicted use of flaxseed after adjusting for other variables.

RESULTS: A binary logistic regression analysis showed that gender was a significant predictor, with females having 3.4 times greater odds of using flaxseed than males (p< 0.001). Similar pattern was observed in a multivariate regression analysis, with females having 3.94 greater odds of using flaxseed than males (p< 0.001).

CONCLUSION: Gender is a significant factor for using flaxseed among Ethiopian immigrants in the USA. A multivariate regression analysis showed survey participants in the age group 41 to 50 years to be significantly more likely to use flaxseed than those who are 40 years old or younger.