scholarly journals A Questionnaire-based Assessment of Dietary Adherence and Identification of Barriers to Healthy Eating

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Karen S. Bishop ◽  
Weiming Yi ◽  
Isabella Piper-Jarrett ◽  
Marcus A. Henning
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Food Culture ◽  
Male Population ◽  
Eating Pattern ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
Barriers To Change ◽  
Mediterranean Diet Adherence ◽  
Additional Section

Background: Adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet is associated with an extensive list of health benefits for people both with and without a disease. Objective: The objective of this study was to develop/modify a questionnaire to investigate the current adherence to a Mediterranean-style dietary eating pattern amongst the New Zealand male population, and to assess the association between perceived barriers to change and behaviours. Methods: The development of this questionnaire was based upon a modified 14-point validated Mediterranean diet adherence screener (PREDiMED) and included an additional section wherein we explored the reasons behind men’s food choices and barriers to healthy eating. Questionnaires were analysed from 295 men. Descriptive analyses were used to determine major barriers to change. Results: The modification of the PREDiMED questionnaire resulted in a 23 question questionnaire encompassing adherence, demographics and barriers to change. We found that 90.8% of respondents had either low or intermediate adherence to a Mediterranean style diet. Significant associations also existed between adherence and smoking (p=0.003), age (p< 0.01) and opinion of the importance of healthy eating (p< 0.01). We found participants felt the ‘major’ barrier to consume a healthy diet, to be a busy lifestyle, and the most common influencer of food choices was people. Conclusion: Through identifying how New Zealand men consume food and how they consider their barriers to change, we can better direct policy to aid changes in behaviour and integrate the Mediterranean style diet to complement the New Zealand food culture.

scholarly journals Women’s perceptions of factors influencing their food shopping choices and how supermarkets can support them to make healthier choices

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Preeti Dhuria ◽  
Wendy Lawrence ◽  
Sarah Crozier ◽  
Cyrus Cooper ◽  
Janis Baird ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Personal Responsibility ◽  
Food Preferences ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Telephone Interviews ◽  
Food Shopping ◽  
Women’S Perceptions

Abstract Objectives To examine women’s perceptions of factors that influence their food shopping choices, particularly in relation to store layout, and their views on ways that supermarkets could support healthier choices. Design This qualitative cross-sectional study used semi-structured telephone interviews to ask participants the reasons for their choice of supermarket and factors in-store that prompted their food selections. The actions supermarkets, governments and customers could take to encourage healthier food choices were explored with women. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify key themes. Setting Six supermarkets across England. Participants Twenty women customers aged 18–45 years. Results Participants had a median age of 39.5 years (IQR: 35.1, 42.3), a median weekly grocery spend of £70 (IQR: 50, 88), and 44% had left school aged 16 years. Women reported that achieving value for money, feeling hungry, tired, or stressed, and meeting family members’ food preferences influenced their food shopping choices. The physical environment was important, including product quality and variety, plus ease of accessing the store or products in-store. Many participants described how they made unintended food selections as a result of prominent placement of unhealthy products in supermarkets, even if they adopted more conscious approaches to food shopping (i.e. written or mental lists). Participants described healthy eating as a personal responsibility, but some stated that governments and supermarkets could be more supportive. Conclusions This study highlighted that in-store environments can undermine intentions to purchase and consume healthy foods. Creating healthier supermarket environments could reduce the burden of personal responsibility for healthy eating, by making healthier choices easier. Future research could explore the interplay of personal, societal and commercial responsibility for food choices and health status.

scholarly journals Perceptual salience influences food choices independently of health and taste preferences

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Dai ◽  
Jeremy Cone ◽  
Jeff Moher
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Load ◽  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Food Choice ◽  
Time Pressure ◽  
Taste Preference ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Perceptual Salience ◽  
Choice Tests

Abstract Background Making decisions about food is a critical part of everyday life and a principal concern for a number of public health issues. Yet, the mechanisms involved in how people decide what to eat are not yet fully understood. Here, we examined the role of visual attention in healthy eating intentions and choices. We conducted two-alternative forced choice tests of competing food stimuli that paired healthy and unhealthy foods that varied in taste preference. We manipulated their perceptual salience such that, in some cases, one food item was more perceptually salient than the other. In addition, we manipulated the cognitive load and time pressure to test the generalizability of the salience effect. Results Manipulating salience had a powerful effect on choice in all situations; even when an unhealthy but tastier food was presented as an alternative, healthy food options were selected more often when they were perceptually salient. Moreover, in a second experiment, food choices on one trial impacted food choices on subsequent trials; when a participant chose the healthy option, they were more likely to choose a healthy option again on the next trial. Furthermore, robust effects of salience on food choice were observed across situations of high cognitive load and time pressure. Conclusions These results have implications both for understanding the mechanisms of food-related decision-making and for implementing interventions that might make it easier for people to make healthy eating choices.

scholarly journals Short-Term Effects of Healthy Eating Pattern Cycling on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors: Pooled Results from Two Randomized Controlled Trials

Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1725 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren O'Connor ◽  
Jia Li ◽  
R. Drew Sayer ◽  
Jane Hennessy ◽  
Wayne Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Cardiovascular Disease Risk ◽  
Density Lipoprotein ◽  
Lipoprotein Cholesterol ◽  
Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors ◽  
Eating Pattern

Adherence to healthy eating patterns (HEPs) is often short-lived and can lead to repetitive attempts of adopting—but not maintaining—HEPs. We assessed effects of adopting, abandoning, and readopting HEPs (HEP cycling) on cardiovascular disease risk factors (CVD-RF). We hypothesized that HEP cycling would improve, worsen, and again improve CVD-RF. Data were retrospectively pooled for secondary analyses from two randomized, crossover, controlled feeding trials (n = 60, 52 ± 2 years, 30.6 ± 0.6 kg/m2) which included two 5–6 week HEP interventions (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension-style or Mediterranean-style) separated by a four-week unrestricted eating period. Ambulatory and fasting blood pressures (BP), fasting serum lipids, lipoproteins, glucose, and insulin were measured before and during the last week of HEP interventions. Fasting systolic BP and total cholesterol decreased (−6 ± 1 mm Hg and −19 ± 3 mg/dL, respectively, p < 0.05), returned to baseline, then decreased again (−5 ± 1 mm Hg and −13 ± 3 mg/dL, respectively, p < 0.05) when adopting, abandoning, and readopting a HEP; magnitude of changes did not differ. Ambulatory and fasting diastolic BP and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations followed similar patterns; glucose and insulin remained unchanged. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations decreased with initial adoption but not readoption (−13 ± 3 and −6 ± 3, respectively, interaction p = 0.020). Healthcare professionals should encourage individuals to consistently consume a HEP for cardiovascular health but also encourage them to try again if a first attempt is unsuccessful or short-lived.

scholarly journals Comparison of Evidence Review Methodologies Used to inform Nutrition Recommendations

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 1732-1732
Author(s):  
Huma Rana ◽  
Kaylyn Dixon ◽  
Sylvie St-Pierre ◽  
Bryony Sinclair
Keyword(s):  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Review Process ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
The Public ◽  
Rigorous Approach ◽  
Funding Sources ◽  
Disease Rates ◽  
Evidence Review ◽  
Health Canada

Abstract Objectives In an era of rising chronic disease rates and conflicting healthy eating messages, the public needs evidence-informed, credible healthy eating information to help guide their food choices. This is why credible scientific bodies have developed systematic approaches to reviewing evidence in order to inform nutrition recommendations. Health Canada compared the latest evidence review processes and grading methodologies that are used by credible scientific bodies to develop nutrition recommendations. Methods An environmental scan of evidence review approaches used by credible scientific bodies was conducted. Websites of scientific bodies were searched, and flowcharts and summaries of each scientific body's evidence review process were developed. The evidence review processes were then assessed and compared between scientific bodies, and with their own previous approaches. Results Evidence review processes of 11 scientific bodies were included in the comparison. All scientific bodies use a systematic approach to gather and review evidence, including the use of systematic reviews, and involve experts in the review of evidence to determine its strength. However, expert groups use varying criteria to grade the evidence. Interesting similarities also exist in how the evidence review processes have evolved over time to strengthen scientific rigour and credibility. For efficiency, scientific bodies are increasingly using ‘review of systematic reviews’ in their evidence review as more systematic reviews have become available. In addition, there is improved transparency in evidence review methods and scientific bodies have increased efforts to engage the public. Conclusions Overall, the methodologies of the scientific bodies are similar in their rigorous approach to reviewing evidence to inform the development of nutrition recommendations. However, they differ in how they engage experts and grade the strength of the evidence. Another difference is the transparency of their evidence review methods, which is important to allow for meaningful comparison and understanding of conclusions across scientific bodies. Funding Sources The authors received no specific funds for this work. The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

A healthy eating pattern may represent an additional benefit in controlling LDL regardless of the use of medications

2018 ◽  
Vol 37 ◽  
pp. S91-S92
Author(s):  
C.R. Torreglosa ◽  
Â.C.B. Ferreira ◽  
J.T. da Silva ◽  
B. Weber ◽  
A.D.P. Chiavegatto Filho
Keyword(s):  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Additional Benefit ◽  
Eating Pattern

scholarly journals Perceived Barriers and Facilitators to Healthy Eating in Middle-Aged Hispanic Men (P04-125-19)

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shandel Vega-Soto ◽  
Cheryl Der Ananian ◽  
Hector Valdez ◽  
Ferdinand Delgado ◽  
Steven Hooker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Eating Habits ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Cultural Factors ◽  
Perceived Barriers ◽  
Barriers And Facilitators ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Hispanic Men

Abstract Objectives Dietary behaviors contribute to an increased risk of cardiometabolic disease in Hispanic men. Few studies have assessed Hispanic men's perspectives on healthy eating. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify perceived barriers and facilitators to healthy eating in middle-aged, Hispanic men of Mexican descent. Methods Six focus groups (FGs) with Hispanic men were primarily conducted in Spanish (n = 5 FGs), audio-recorded, transcribed, then translated verbatim to English. A grounded theory approach was used to identify common themes. Results Participants (n = 34; mean age: 54.4 ± 7.0 years) primarily self-identified as Mexican (71%) or Mexican-American (10%). In preliminary findings, the main barriers to healthy eating were competing responsibilities (n = 6 FGs), lack of nutrition knowledge (n = 6 FGs), cultural factors (n = 5 FGs), habits (n = 5 FGs), and available food choices (n = 5 FGs). A demanding work schedule was considered a barrier because it contributes to “eating on the run” and the selection of fast or convenient foods. Cultural factors perceived as barriers to healthy eating included the need to have food at social gatherings and the “Mexican diet.” Food at gatherings was perceived as leading to an increased availability of unhealthy food items and the consumption of large portions. “Mexican foods”, including tortillas, tacos, pozole, meat and cooking fats were considered unhealthy but central to the diet. Family (n = 5 FGs), health reasons (n = 6 FGs), portion control (n = 5 FGs), and nutrition education (n = 5 FGs), were reported as facilitators to healthy eating. Men reported the importance of longevity to support their family as an essential motivator to engage in healthy eating. Participants (n = 3 FGs) also indicated their spouse/partner enabled healthy eating by providing healthy food choices and encouragement or support. Health reasons (e.g., a diagnosis of diabetes or cardiovascular disease, improving health) were an important catalyst to improving eating habits. Conclusions Findings suggest that MA men have an active interest in behavior change affecting healthy eating habits. Our research provides invaluable insight to construct tailored strategies to improve dietary behavior in this vulnerable population. Funding Sources National Institute of Aging.

scholarly journals Orange juice combined to a healthy-eating pattern improved endothelial function and reduced global risk of CHD in metabolic syndrome patients

2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (OCE2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thais Cesar ◽  
Renata Benassi ◽  
Olivia Ponce ◽  
Michel Nasser
Keyword(s):  
Metabolic Syndrome ◽  
Endothelial Function ◽  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Orange Juice ◽  
Vascular Function ◽  
Lipid Lowering ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Global Risk ◽  
Eating Pattern ◽  
Citrus Flavonoids

AbstractCurrent evidence has shown that orange juice flavonoids have antihypertensive, lipid lowering, insulin sensitizing, antioxidant and antinflammatory properties, which are correlated with antiatherogenic activity. The objective of this study was to verify whether regular administration of 100% pure orange juice (OJ), as a source of antioxidant and bioactive compounds, associated with a healthy dietary pattern improves endothelial and vascular function and reduces Global Risk of Coronary Heart Disease (Global Risk of CHD). Obese volunteers (n = 68) with metabolic syndrome were randomly assigned to the control (n = 34) or OJ (n = 34) groups, and all of them were counseled and followed up to maintain a healthy-eating pattern for 12 weeks. In addition, OJ group participants drank 500 ml of 100% orange juice daily in two servings of 250 mL each between meals. After the intervention, a significant reduction of 2% in anthropometric measurements (body weight and fat) was observed in both groups, with no change in lean mass. In the OJ group, a significant reduction of total cholesterol (-9.4%) was detected, whereas the controls reduced only HDL-C (-9%). In both groups there was a significant reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (-8% and -9%, respectively) and an increase in antioxidant capacity (1%). Only the OJ group reduced vascular markers ICAM (-14%) and VCAM (-15%) and inflammatory markers TNF-alpha (-20%) and hsPCR (-22%) (p < 0.05). Both groups reduced IL-6 (-45%), improved brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (BA-FMD), and reduced carotid artery intima-media thickness (CA-IMT) by 10% (p < 0.05). Daily consumption of orange juice, along with a healthy-eating pattern, was able to reduce cardiovascular risk factors related to systemic inflammation and endothelial function in individuals with metabolic syndrome. A significant reduction in the prevalence of the high-risk of CHD was observed in 47% of subjects who consumed a healthy diet, while 70% of patients who had a healthy eating pattern along with orange juice reverted to low CHD risk, showing the additional benefit of regular intake of 100% orange juice. This was probably due to the action of antioxidant compounds present in high concentrations in orange juice, such as vitamin C and citrus flavonoids

scholarly journals Dual-heritage households: Food, culture, and re-membering in Hamilton, New Zealand

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebekah Graham ◽  
Darrin Hodgetts ◽  
Ottilie Stolte
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Identity Construction ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Comparative Research ◽  
Food Culture ◽  
Photo Elicitation ◽  
Familial Relationships ◽  
Food Practices ◽  
Shared Spaces ◽  
Ways Of Being

AbstractFood is deeply connected to processes of re-membering, identity construction, the texturing of shared spaces, and social relationships. This case-comparative research focusses on how everyday food-related practices (sourcing, preparing, serving and eating) reproduce aspects of culture and communal ways of being. We will consider the food practices of three dual-heritage households who took part in a series of biographical, ‘go-along’, ‘eat-along’ and photo-elicitation interviews. Particular attention is paid to the ways in which food is intimately interwoven with familial relationships, the reproduction of hybrid ways of being, and connecting the present, past, and future.

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