Development and validation of a short, consumer-oriented nutrition knowledge questionnaire

A short scale was developed and validated that assesses consumers' knowledge about nutrition. Sixty-four nutrition knowledge items were derived from consumer interviews and expert recommendations about healthy eating. Items were administered as a postal survey to a sample of consumers randomly drawn from the directory (response rate=37%, N=1043). Twenty items were retained to build the final nutrition knowledge scale. Internal reliability, criterion and construct validity were acceptable. Associations of the scale with self-reported food consumption frequencies indicated limited correlation of nutrition knowledge with food choice. Widespread nutrition knowledge gaps in consumers were revealed.     

Nutrition knowledge and dietary practices of college coaches

The objectives of this study were to measure nutrition knowledge of college coaches, to identify educational and demographic factors that affect nutrition knowledge of college coaches, to describe dietary practices recommended by these coaches, and to identify major sources of nutrition information used by coaches. Questionnaires were mailed to 296 coaches of senior and junior colleges in North Carolina using a listing from the National Directory of College Athletics. Coaches of the following sports were included: track and field, cross country, swimming, tennis, basketball, gymnastics, golf, football, and wrestling. The response rate was 36%. Seventy percent of the 15 nutrition knowledge test items were answered correctly; however, only one-third of the coaches indicated a high degree of certainty for the correctness of their responses. There were no significant relationships between nutrition knowledge and sex, age, collegiate conference, course work in nutrition, win/loss record, and years of coaching experience. Major dietary problems of college athletes reported by coaches were consumption of "junk food," poor eating habits, and consumption of an unbalanced diet. The authors recommend an annual workshop for coaches, trainers, and dietitians to develop criteria for nutrition assessment and body composition for college athletes and to develop training diets. Special workshops for foodservice personnel are also recommended.     

Nutrition knowledge predicts eating behavior of all food groups except fruits and vegetables among adults in the Paso del Norte region: Qué Sabrosa Vida

ObjectiveTo examine the association between nutrition knowledge and eating behavior in a predominantly Mexican American population on the Texas-Mexico border.DesignCross-sectional using data from the baseline survey of the Qué Sabrosa Vida community nutrition initiative.SettingEl Paso and surrounding counties in Texas.ParticipantsData gathered in 2000 using random-digit dialing telephone survey. Response rate was 42.6% and final sample size was 963.Main Outcome MeasuresKnowledge of recommended servings of food items was the independent variable and number of servings of food items consumed was the dependent variable.Data analysisMultiple logistic regression was used to examine the association between nutrition knowledge and eating behavior.Results74% of the population was Mexican American. Nutrition knowledge was a significant predictor of eating behavior for grains (odds ratio [OR] = 6.42; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.4, 17.1), dairy (OR = 2.25; 95% CI: 1.5, 3.4), meats (OR = 2.02; 95% CI: 1.5, 2.8), beans (OR = 8.18; 95% CI: 5.1, 13.0), water (OR = 2.49; 95% CI: 1.7, 3.6), but not for fruits and (nonstarchy) vegetables (OR = 1.69; 95% CI: 0.89, 3.2).Conclusions and ImplicationsNutrition knowledge predicts eating behavior for all food groups except fruits and vegetables. The role of cultural factors in eating behavior should be investigated to elucidate this finding. Results have implications for developing nutrition education programs for Mexican Americans.     

The Assessment of Cooking Skills and Food Skills and Their Relationship with Nutrition Knowledge,Attitude toward a Healthy Diet and Food Intake: Results of a German Validation Study

There is a lack of validated assessment instruments that capture all facets of cooking skills (CS) and food skills (FS). The goal of this study was to validate the German version of a questionnaire to assess a broad range of CS and FS and to examine its relationship with nutrition knowledge, attitude toward a healthy diet, and food intake. The German version was developed using forward–backward translation. An online survey was completed by students (n = 141), participants from the general Swiss population (n = 50), and nutrition experts (n = 18), including the CS and FS items along with nutrition knowledge, food frequency items, attitude toward a healthy diet and sociodemographic variables. The reliability and construct validity were examined. Results: For all of the samples, Cronbach’s alpha was between 0.85 and 0.88 for CS items and between 0.84 and 0.86 for FS items. The scales were strongly correlated (r = 0.60–0.77, p < 0.01). Nutrition experts showed higher confidence in their CS and FS than students and the participants of the general Swiss population (p < 0.001). CS and FS correlated weakly to moderately with practical nutrition knowledge, attitude toward a healthy diet, and the diet quality index. The German version is an efficient, valid, and highly reliable instrument that seems sensitive to changes. FS, compared to CS, might be more important for a healthy diet.     

营养知识及饮食行为现状网络调查

目的了解我国网民营养知识和饮食行为现状,为制定营养健康教育策略提供依据。方法对我国4172名网民进行营养相关知识和饮食行为情况利用网络开展了问卷调查。结果所调查人群营养基础知识及膳食指南的知晓情况较好,调查对象答对7道营养基础知识问题中4题及以上者,占90．3％。膳食指南相关知识答对5道问题中的3题及以上者占88．7％。饮酒者占总调查人数的70．6％,只有66．8％的被调查者喜欢清淡食物,有46．9％的人正在服用保健品。结论所调查群体对营养及健康相关知识有一定了解,但仍需继续加强健康教育,改善不健康的饮食行为。     

Nutrition knowledge among Navy recruits

The Navy wants to incorporate nutrition education programs into basic training to teach Navy personnel fundamental principles of good nutrition. This study was undertaken to: determine deficits in recruits' nutrition knowledge, identify recruits with above-average need for nutrition education, and compare recruits' nutrition knowledge with that of typical U.S. school students. Demographic information and responses to a shortened version (36 items) of the National Dairy Council's Nutrition Achievement Test 4, developed for junior and senior high school students, were obtained from 205 male recruits. Although nutrition knowledge among Navy recruits was relatively comparable with that of U.S. school students, findings indicated that nutrition education is indeed needed. Only 2% of recruits answered 90% of the questions correctly. Forty percent answered half or more of the nutrition questions incorrectly. Questions answered incorrectly by more than 50% of recruits involved: (a) how one assesses nutrient needs and whether those needs are being met, (b) the four major food groups and recommended servings, and (c) effects of alcohol and drugs on nutritional status. Recruits who received higher grades in high school, got into less trouble in high school, were older, and were Caucasian had higher nutrition knowledge. Detailed information regarding nutrition misconceptions should help the Navy develop focused nutrition education materials.     

锦州部分小学生及其家长营养知识与饮食习惯调查

目的 了解锦州地区小学生及家长营养知识和饮食习惯的现状，提出干预对策。方法 采取整群抽样的方法，对锦州市1所城市小学及1所县城小学四－六年级学生及家长进行问卷调查。结果 在小学生问卷中，含钙，维生素C，蛋白质较多食品及甜食过多对人体有害4个问题回答的正确率分别为74．8％，78．0％，77．8％和87．0％，其余均低于53．0％。小学生经常喝饮料的占22．2％，经常吃零食的占18．8％，49．7％的小学生有边吃饭边看电视的习惯。有16．2％的小学生家长喜欢吃零食，24．4％的家长喜欢吃较咸的菜肴，25．0％的家里从来不吃粗粮。结论 在营养知识的饮食习惯方面，需要对小学生及家长进行干预，让他们获得更多的营养知识，改变不良的饮食习惯。     

Lay people's views of school food policy options: associations with confidence, personal values and demographics

A random population survey administered by mail to examine lay people's views of children's food policies and their associations with demographics, personal values and confidence in authorities was conducted among adults in Victoria, Australia. Three hundred and seventy-seven people responded (response rate 57.6%). The questionnaire contained 35 items about children's healthy eating policy options plus details like personal values, confidence and demographic items. There was widespread support for healthy school food policies. The strongest support was for life skills education and school-based nutrition and physical education programmes. Many age-related associations indicated that people >48 years were more in favour of healthy eating policies than younger people. There were fewer statistically significant associations with parent status and sex. In contrast, many associations showed that respondents with strong equity-harmony values and those with least confidence in the authorities were most in favour of healthy eating policies for schoolchildren. It is concluded that there is widespread support for school-based health and nutrition education and for active school food policies. However, differences between demographic and values groups suggest the need for caution in the promotion of public health nutrition initiatives among schoolchildren.     

Health‐related beliefs and consumer knowledge as determinants of fish consumption

Background: Despite scientific evidence on the positive effects of seafood consumption on human health, the consumption of fish remains below the recommended intake levels for the majority of Europeans. The present study aimed to explore cultural differences in potential determinants of fish consumption: consumers’ knowledge and health‐related beliefs, as well as the relationship between those variables, socio‐demographics and fish consumption frequency, using data from five European countries. Methods: A cross‐sectional consumer survey was carried out in 2004 with representative household samples from Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Poland and Spain. The sample consisted of 4786 respondents, aged 18–84 years, who were responsible for food purchasing and cooking in the household. Results: European consumers had a very strong belief that eating fish is healthy. Consumers’ belief that eating fish is healthy, their interest in healthy eating and objective fish‐related nutrition knowledge, positively, but only weakly, influenced fish consumption frequency. Subjective knowledge was found to be a stronger predictor of fish consumption than the previously noted factors. Age and education contributed, both directly and indirectly through knowledge, to explain fish consumption behaviour. However, the path coefficients in the estimated model were relatively low, which indicates that fish consumption frequency was also determined by factors other than health‐related beliefs and consumers’ knowledge. Conclusions: The findings of the present study suggest that communication should focus on health‐related benefits other than fish consumption alone. Communicating that eating fish is healthy and stressing the health benefits of fish alone, as is still commonly performed (e.g. in generic promotion and other types of public information campaigns) will be insufficient to achieve higher levels of compliance with fish consumption recommendations.     

Nutrition knowledge, attitude, and behavior of Taiwanese elementary school children

The purpose of this study is to understand nutrition knowledge, attitude, and behavior in Taiwanese elementary school children, and the relationship of these various components. The results indicated that children's knowledge was fair in nutrition basics, but poor in 'the physiological function of nutrients', 'relationships between diet/nutrients and disease', and 'the daily serving requirement for different food groups'. Children in general valued the importance of nutrition, but they did not concern the health benefit of foods in food selections. Their dietary quality was not satisfactory, and the diet of most children did not meet the recommended serving requirements for milk, vegetable, fruit, and cereals and grains groups. Positive relationships were found among nutrition knowledge, attitude, caring- about-nutrition behavior and dietary quality score. The restraint or disinhibited eating behavior of 4th to 6th graders was not serious, but a large number of children already performed some self-controlling practices to avoid obesity, but not frequently. One fourth of the students skipped meals, especially breakfast, and one quarter of 4th to 6th graders prepared their own breakfast; which may have some impact on children's diet quality. A gap was found between nutrition knowledge, attitude and eating behavior, especially vegetable and fruit consumption, indicating that the attitude toward eating for health was not strong in this age group. Future nutrition education for school children should not only include food serving requirements of food groups, but also apply appropriate theories to improve the motivation for healthy eating.     

马鞍山市公民健康素养现况研究

目的了解马鞍山市公民健康素养现状。方法在马鞍山市辖区内分层整群随机抽取603人进行问卷调查。结果健康素养总体正确认知率为71.25%;健康知识的正确认知率为71.71%,健康知识正确认知率与文化程度和家庭经济状况有关;健康信念正确率为72.82%,健康信念与年龄、文化程度、职业、婚姻状况和家庭经济状况有关;健康行为正确率为67.63%,健康行为与文化程度和家庭规模有关;健康技能认知的正确率为71.96%,健康技能认知水平与年龄、文化程度、职业、婚姻状况和家庭经济状况有关。结论健康知识正确认知率受文化程度和家庭经济状况影响;健康信念正确率受年龄、文化程度、职业、婚姻状况和家庭经济状况的影响;健康技能正确率受年龄、文化程度、职业、婚姻状况和经济状况的影响;健康行为正确率受文化程度和家庭规模的影响。针对居民在健康素养方面存在的误区应加强宣传。     

Association of fast food consumption with energy intake, diet quality, body mass index and the risk of obesity in a representative Mediterranean population

The aim of the present study was to describe the association of fast food consumption with BMI, energy intake and diet quality in a Mediterranean population. The subjects were Spanish men (n 1491) and women (n 1563) aged 25-74 years who were examined in 1999-2000, in a population-based cross-sectional survey in northeast Spain (Girona). Dietary intake was assessed using a FFQ that included four typical fast food items. Two dietary-quality indices, the Mediterranean diet score and the healthy eating index, were created. Height and weight were measured. Within the population studied, 10.1 % reported eating fast food at least once per month. Dietary energy intake and energy density were directly associated with frequency of fast food consumption. Multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusted for lifestyle and educational level showed an inverse association of frequency of fast food consumption with meeting the dietary reference intake (DRI) for energy (P = 0.001). The consumption of fast food more than once per week increased the risk of overall low diet quality (P < 0.001). BMI was directly associated with fast food consumption expressed in g/d (P = 0.025) and in kJ/d (P = 0.017). The risk of being obese increased with the frequency of fast food consumption (P = 0.046). Fast food consumption was associated with higher energy intakes, poor diet quality and higher BMI. The likelihood of not meeting the DRI for energy, and of being obese, increased with the frequency of fast food consumption.     

深圳市学龄儿童家长零食知识态度行为现况

  目的  了解深圳市学龄儿童家长对零食营养的认知、态度以及购买零食行为,为制定有针对性的干预方案、培养儿童健康的饮食行为提供数据支持和科学依据。  方法  2018年6月,采用整群随机抽样方法,对深圳市116所小学二年级4 517名学生家长进行问卷调查。  结果  被调查家长的零食认知水平高低不一。超过90%的家长会担心零食的卫生安全问题并知道长期进食可导致儿童厌食偏食,仅有21.18%的家长会经常引导儿童进食零食。儿童群体的零食多由父母购买,以奶及奶制品、蔬菜水果类和面包蛋糕类为主,且在购买时更为注重营养、卫生和口味。此外,80.16%的家长购买零食时会看生产日期,但只有28.80%的家长会阅读营养标签。不同零食认知水平的家长关于零食的态度(零食的安全卫生问题、长期进食零食是否导致儿童厌食偏食、参加零食营养宣教活动)及行为(购买零食时看生产日期、购买零食看营养标签、主动获取零食营养知识)差异均有统计学意义(χ2值分别为30.16,15.40;17.33,15.41,77.81,P值均 < 0.05)。  结论  应加强对家长开展营养与食品安全相关知识宣教,提升家长的营养认知,改变态度,促进合理饮食与购买零食行为的形成,以更好地引导儿童形成良好的饮食习惯。     

What Are Adults With Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Eating? A Closer Look at the Dietary Habits of a Population‐Based Canadian IBD Cohort

Background: A comprehensive study of what individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are eating that encompasses food avoidance, dietary sugar consumption, and a comparison with the non‐IBD Canadian population has not been documented. The aim was to analyze these interrelated dietary components. Methods: Food avoidance and sugar intake data were collected from 319 patients with IBD enrolled in the University of Manitoba IBD Cohort Study. Diets of those with IBD (n = 256) were compared with a matched, non‐IBD Canadian cohort using the nutrition questions obtained from the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS). Results: Food avoidance among IBD is prevalent for alcohol, popcorn, legumes, nuts, seeds, deep‐fried food, and processed deli meat, with a higher prevalence among those with active IBD. Patients with active IBD also consumed significantly more portions of sports drinks and sweetened beverages compared with those with inactive disease. Compared with the non‐IBD Canadian population, patients with IBD consume significantly less iron‐rich food but more milk. Conclusions: Food avoidance is common among those with IBD but may be due more to personal preferences, while sugar‐laden beverages may be displacing other foods higher in nutrients. The overall diet of patients with IBD differed from that of the non‐IBD Canadian population, but deficiencies were observed in both groups. Considering malnutrition among persons living with IBD, nutrition education by trained dietitians as part of the IBD team is imperative to address food avoidance and overall balance nutrition as part of treating and preventing nutrition deficiencies.     

Nutrition knowledge and attitudes of New Zealand registered midwives

Aim: The importance of nutrition for a healthy pregnancy is well established. In New Zealand, the majority of women choose midwives as their maternity provider. Therefore, it is important that midwives have an understanding of nutrition issues related to pregnancy. The purpose of the present study was to determine the nutrition knowledge of New Zealand midwives, and to assess the importance they place on nutrition during pregnancy. Methods: An 18‐question postal survey was sent to all members of the New Zealand College of Midwives (n = 1340). Results: A total of 370 questionnaires were returned (response rate of 27.6%). Less than 40% of midwives reported that they had formal nutrition education; however, nearly 75% of respondents indicated that they had received nutrition information through their midwifery education. Most midwives indicated that nutrition was important or very important during pregnancy (98.4%), and that they had a significant or very significant role in educating pregnant women (94.9%) about nutrition. Midwives generally reported a high level of confidence in dealing with nutrition‐related issues. Midwives answered most of the nutrition knowledge questions correctly. However, 64.6% of midwives (n = 369) incorrectly identified spirulina as a good source of iron for vegetarians, 28.1% (n = 104) incorrectly answered that maternal intake of cabbage and beans are often responsible for colic in breastfed infants, and 40.0% (n = 128) incorrectly answered that to reduce food allergies all lactating women should avoid peanuts and shellfish. Conclusion: Overall, midwives were knowledgeable on nutrition issues related to pregnancy and reported a high level of confidence on educating women about nutrition.     

Examining the Correlates of Adolescent Food and Nutrition Knowledge

Food literacy is a set of skills and knowledge that are integral to diet. It is common among teenagers to not have basic food literacy skills needed to consume a healthy diet. This study examined: (1) the current state of food and nutrition knowledge among adolescents 13–19 years of age in the census metropolitan area of London, ON, Canada; and (2) correlates of food knowledge and nutrition knowledge among adolescents. Data for this study were drawn from baseline youth and parent survey data collected from a larger population health intervention study. Statistical analysis of the survey data indicates that higher parental education and higher median neighbourhood family income, the use of mobile health applications, liking to cook, as well as confidence in reading and understanding food labels were all consistently associated with increased food and nutrition knowledge. Findings may help guide future research towards optimal methods for delivering food literacy interventions to effectively educate teenagers. Results of this study may help guide policy makers, researchers, and public health professionals in developing appropriate food and nutrition programs and curriculums to combat the decline in food literacy skills.     

Influence of the Jewish religion and Jewish dietary laws (Kashruth) on family food habits in an ultra‐orthodox population in Montreal

Two hundred and fifty families, comprising 1,438 individuals, from the major ultra‐orthodox, fundamentalist Jewish (Hassidic) communities in Montreal, were randomly selected from community lists for a study of the influence of Judaism and its dietary laws on their food habits. Data were collected by means of self‐administered, mailed questionnaires developed for this survey. Highly significant differences relating to participant group (Outremont Hassidim versus Lubavitcher Hassidirn) were noted for the consumption of certain basic foodstuffs (fish, poultry, eggs, some vegetables, sources of fat, processed foods), as well as some cooking methods and miscellaneous food habits. These differences can be explained by the latter community's more heterogeneous composition, differing philosophies and wider experience of the secular world. The sabbath, fast‐days and numerous holidays contributed to particular dietary habits within the Hassidic population. Examination of usual food group consumption patterns revealed eating habits which closely approximate North American healthy eating guidelines, despite possible marginal intakes of vitamin D, zinc and iron among children and pregnant women. This study has reinforced existing anecdotal impressions as to the importance of religion and the religious dietary laws in the daily life of this community.     

Using Short Dietary Questions to Develop Indicators of Dietary Behaviour for Use in Surveys Exploring Attitudinal and/or Behavioural Aspects of Dietary Choices

For countries where nutrition surveys are infrequent, there is a need to have some measure of healthful eating to plan and evaluate interventions. This study shows how it is possible to develop healthful eating indicators based on dietary guidelines from a cross sectional population survey. Adults 18 to 64 years answered questions about the type and amount of foods eaten the previous day, including fruit, vegetables, cereals, dairy, fish or meat and fluids. Scores were based on serves and types of food according to an established method. Factor analysis indicated two factors, confirmed by structural equation modeling: a recommended food healthful eating indicator (RF_HEI) and a discretionary food healthful eating indicator (DF_HEI). Both yield mean scores similar to an established dietary index validated against nutrient intake. Significant associations for the RF_HEI were education, income, ability to save, and attitude toward diet; and for the DF_HEI, gender, not living alone, living in a socially disadvantaged area, and attitude toward diet. The results confirm that short dietary questions can be used to develop healthful eating indicators against dietary recommendations. This will enable the exploration of dietary behaviours for “at risk” groups, such as those with excess weight, leading to more relevant interventions for populations.     

阜阳农村173名家长婴幼儿喂养行为现状调查

为了解阜阳市农村家长对婴幼儿喂养行为干预的接受程度与家庭经济状况、饮食习惯的关系，从而为研究适合阜阳市农村经济和资源现状的婴幼儿喂养结构提供依据，采取整群抽样的方法于2005年3月16～21日对阜阳市4个县的4个乡中经济比较落后的12个自然村的所有2岁内儿童家长进行了“阜阳农村家长对婴幼儿喂养行为干预接受程度”的问卷调查。共调查173名婴幼儿家长。结果显示农村婴幼儿饮食结构种类单一，主要为谷类。动物性蛋白质添加率为52．1％，来源主要是鸡蛋和牛奶。蔬菜水果的添加率为33．2％，豆腐的添加率仅为28．4％；农村家长缺乏婴幼儿喂养知识，不懂得如何利用现有营养食物资源喂养婴儿。要降低阜阳市婴幼儿营养不良患病率，必须对全市农村婴幼儿家长的喂养行为进行干预。文章对阜阳市农村婴幼儿喂养结构提出了具体建议。