Predictors of knowledge about healthy eating in a rural midwestern US city

Knowledge about health is an important factor in the healthbehavior change process, yet health knowledge is not equallydistributed among populations. Research has suggested that differencesin health knowledge are based in the influence of social structuraland motivational conditions. This study examined socioeconomicstatus (SES) and other socio-demographic and motivational predictorsof diet and health knowledge as part of the formative evaluationof a community-based cancer and diet campaign, the Cancer andDiet Intervention Project. The dependent variable was an open-endedmeasure of dietary change knowledge. Independent variables includededucation, income, gender, age a measure of community involvement,and the motivational variables of salience and efficacy forhealthy dietary change. Data were collected using a random-digit-dialcross-sectional survey (N=377) of a small midwestern US city(population, 20 000). Findings indicated that response efficacy(belief in personal benefits of dietary change) was the strongestpredictor of knowledge about healthy eating, followed by educationand gender. Implications of planning public health campaignsare discussed.