Journal of nutrition education最新文献

Objective

To develop and validate scales to assess perceived benefits and barriers (decisional balance) for increasing fruit and vegetable consumption.

Design

A cross-sectional mail and telephone survey was conducted.

Subjects/Settings

A total of 1200 Chinese households were randomly selected from the Singapore residential telephone listings, and 71% responded to the mail survey; 390 males and 406 females participated (mean age = 39.3).

Main Outcome Measures

Decisional balance, stage of change, and fruit and vegetable consumption were measured.

Statistical Analyses Performed

Using a split-half sample approach, developmental sample responses were analyzed by principal-components analysis and validation sample responses by confirmatory factor analysis. Analyses of variance were used to examine stage differences in decisional balance.

Results

Principal-components analysis indicated two components representing benefits (or pros) (Cronbach's α = 0.86) and barriers (or cons) (α 0.79) of change. Confirmatory factor analysis strongly supported the two-component structure (Goodness of Fit Index = 0.97). There was a shift from cons to pros being more important across the stages. The increase in pros across the stages of change (p < .0001) corresponded to a medium effect size, and the decrease in cons (p < .01) corresponded to a small effect size.

Implications

Decisional balance scales may be used to guide interventions to influence fruit and vegetable consumption.

Books, curricula, audiovisuals, and other resources that nutrition professionals may use for reference, continuing education, or in a formal or informal education setting are designated “professional.” Books, handouts, diet plans, and other resources specified by authors as being written for general audiences are categorized as “consumer.” Inclusion of any material in this section does not imply endorsement by the Society for Nutrition Education. Evaluative comments contained in the reviews reflect the views of the authors. Prices quoted are those provided by the publishers at the time materials were submitted. They may no longer be current when the review is published.

Nutrition education for low-income audiences often focuses on building skills in food shopping and food resource management to help families receive the best nutrition from the resources they have available. However, empirical evidence for the effect of food shopping practice on dietary quality has been limited. This article presents new analyses from two studies that found an association between food shopping practices and diet quality. Logistic regression of data from 957 respondents from the 1996 National Food Stamp Program Survey found that food shopping practices were significantly (p ≤ .05) associated with the availability of nutrients in the food the households used during a week. Similarly, analysis of baseline data from 5159 women from selected counties of states who participated in the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program found that food shopping practices were significantly (p ≤ .05) associated with increased consumption of nutrients as measured through a single 24-hour recall. These findings suggest that food shopping practices are an important area for nutrition education with low-income audiences.

Objective

Key informants' perceptions of nutrition and health needs in their southern rural communities were assessed prior to nutrition intervention planning.

Design

This cross-sectional survey used in-person interviews.

Subjects/Settings

A sample of 490 individuals from 12 professional and lay roles in 8 community sectors in 36 counties in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi was chosen.

Statistical Analyses Performed

Factor analysis was carried out on reported food, nutrition, and health problems and contributing factors. The General Linear Models procedure identified within- and between-subject effects for factors. Tukey's post hoc tests identified differences between sectors and states. Frequencies and weighted rankings were computed for health problems.

Results

Key informants rated individual-level factors (food choices, education, willingness to change, health behavior) as more important than community-level factors (food and health care access, resources) with regard to nutrition and health problems and contributors to problems. The number one health problem was hypertension.

Implications

Key informants are knowledgeable about nutrition and health problems, contributing factors, and available resources. Individual factors were perceived as more important contributors to nutrition and health problems providing valuable information for planning nutrition interventions.

Traditionally, nutrition educators have used a fairly global approach to teach food safety by teaching a broad range of safe food handling behaviors in the expectation that this will lead to the avoidance of foodborne illness. This approach can be confusing and lead to evaluation data that are difficult to interpret. This article suggests that food safety education and evaluation in the future be organized around five behavioral constructs: practice personal hygiene, cook foods adequately, avoid cross-contamination, keep foods at safe temperatures, and avoid food from unsafe sources. These five constructs are derived from data on actual outbreaks and estimated incidences of foodborne illness. Research is needed to establish reliable and valid evaluation measures for these five behavioral constructs. Evaluation instruments can be tailored to fit specific education programs. If evaluation instruments focus on these five behavior areas, the result will be meaningful evaluation data that can be more easily summarized across food safety education programs for consumers.

Objective

To describe how a sample of women in the Women's Health Initiative Dietary Modification Trial (WHIDM) labeled a healthy eating pattern and to compare these labels to their dietary maintenance.

Design

Participants completed a food frequency questionnaire and were divided into two maintenance groups, based on the percentage of energy derived from fat in their diets. Individual, semistructured interviews with the same subjects elicited information on labels they use to describe a healthy eating pattern.

Subjects/Settings

Subjects were 100 postmenopausal women, 50 to 79 years of age, free of breast and colorectal cancer, and participating in a dietary intervention that consisted of 20% or less energy from fat.

Main Outcome Measures

Percentage of energy from fat in the diet and labels used to define a healthy eating pattern.

Statistical Analyses Performed

Multivariate analysis.

Results

The label “consistent/patterned” was a predictor of dietary nonmaintenance (p < .05).

Implications

Future studies should use this information to re-educate nonmaintainers on compliance issues.