Exploring the nutrition and lifestyle knowledge,attitudes and behaviour of student home economics teachers: baseline findings from a 4‐year longitudinal study

It is widely acknowledged that obesity linked with reduced exercise contributes to health problems, and that, conversely, individuals who embark on weight reducing diets may become deficient in key nutrients. It is often advocated that these problems, which can be grouped together as poor dietary practice, be tackled through education. This study attempts to examine the relationship between nutrition education and lifestyle behaviours in a select group of third level students. The Irish Home Economics curriculum aims to teach secondary school pupils about nutrition and lifestyle practices conducive to health. However, the attitudes and lifestyle practices of those teaching this subject have never been examined in Ireland. The purpose of the present 4‐year longitudinal study, whose first year findings are presented here, is to investigate the nutrition and lifestyle knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of a cohort of Irish student home economics teachers over the 4 years of their Bachelor of Education (Home Economics) degree course. The study was designed to explore possible changes in knowledge, attitudes and practices over the course of their professional education. Nutritional knowledge was measured using a 220‐question adapted version of the test devised by Parmenter and Wardle. Attitudes were measured using a questionnaire adapted from the Pan‐EU Survey on Consumer Attitudes to Physical Activity, Body‐weight and Health. Food, alcohol consumption and exercise were measured using a 7‐day reported dietary/exercise diary. Nutrient intake data were determined using dietary analysis. Weight, height and waist circumference were measured and body mass index (BMI) calculated. When starting college, student home economics teachers have broadly similar anthropometric, dietary and lifestyle characteristics to those of their contemporaries. Mean BMI was identical [24.4 kg/m² (SD 4.3)] to that reported in the North/South Ireland Food Consumption Survey (NSIFCS) for those aged 18–35 years, although energy intakes were significantly higher in the cohort of student teachers (P = 0.000). Thirty‐eight per cent were overweight or obese vs. 33.6% in the NSIFCS. Only 17% (n = 6) of students achieved an intake of 300 µg/day of folate as recommended by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and only one the recommended intake of non‐starch polysaccharides (18 g/day). One in three students in this study smoke (16 of 48) and alcohol consumption was high. Only one student was very active. Students scored a mean of 55% (SD 8%) on the knowledge test, with similar scores attained for specific aspects of nutritional knowledge (i.e. food groups, constituents of foods, current dietary advice, nutrients, lifestyle practices). However, knowledge of nutrition definitions was weaker with a mean score of 31% (SD 8.6%). Students had a positive attitude towards food choice, the link between food and health and control over their own diet. Similar attitudes towards exercise, smoking and alcohol consumption were displayed despite students perceiving themselves as not having a balanced diet, having insufficient exercise and having regretted something done as a result of consuming alcohol. They appear to display optimistic bias in relation to health risks. These findings provide baseline data for the longitudinal study and indicate that those choosing to pursue a career as a home economics teacher in Ireland have similar nutritional and lifestyle characteristics to those of their contemporaries.     

The role of cross‐cultural absorptive capacity in the effectiveness of in‐country cross‐cultural training

Based on the theory of absorptive capacity, this study examines the following question. In the context of cross‐cultural training, can the amount of previously accumulated cultural knowledge affect the ability of a trainee to absorb further learning about a new culture, thus enhancing total knowledge and presumably cross‐cultural adjustment? In‐country cross‐cultural training was hypothesized to be more effective when the training components are divided and the sessions are distributed over time – resulting in increased cultural knowledge and greater cross‐cultural adjustment. Results from an experimental design suggested that in‐country cross‐cultural training can increase cultural knowledge, when distributed over time. The results also suggested that the training group had greater differences between pre‐training and post‐training scores on cross‐cultural adjustment, but the differences were not statistically different. The results, methodology and conclusions can be generalized to a variety of populations (e.g. international managers and expatriates) and organizations (e.g. multinationals). For international managers and expatriates, the results showed that in‐country cross‐cultural training, like predeparture cross‐cultural training, is also a viable intervention for knowledge acquisition.     

Family variables,nutrient intakes and perceived health among Malawian women

This study emphasises the inter-relationships among family variables, nutrient intake and perceived health status among Malawian women. The sample consists of rural women residing in Zomba, Malawi, southern Africa. Data were collected from April to June 1993 on (1) family cohesion and adaptability, assessed by a modified version of Olson's FACES 11; (2) dietary intake using a modified food frequency questionnaire; and (3) a 24-item questionnaire on perceived health status, barriers to health and desired methods of communicating nutrition information in the village. The results indicated that Malawian rural women perceived their families as highly cohesive and adaptable. Diseases frequently identified as common in the family were not perceived as related to nutrition. Income significantly correlated with dietary adequacy. The study suggests that efforts to promote health and nutritional status should be directed at disease prevention and its ecological relationship with nutrition. Strategies for communicating nutrition information in rural Malawi are provided.     

Estimating the effects of nutrition label use on Canadian consumer diet‐health concerns using propensity score matching

The overarching goal of nutrition labelling is to transform intrinsic credence attributes into searchable cues, which would enable consumers to make informed food choices at lower search costs. This study estimates the impact of nutrition label usage on Canadian consumers’ (n = 8,114) perceived diet‐health concerns using alternative propensity score matching (PSM) techniques. We apply a series of tests and sensitivity analyses to overcome issues of endogeneity and selection bias frequently found in studies of diet‐health behaviour and to validate the impact of exposure to nutrition facts labels for users vs. non‐users. Our results support the notion that consumer uncertainty and related food‐health concerns are linked to their information behaviour, but not in straightforward manner. Dominant subjective food attributes, such as taste, convenience and affordability, may in fact outweigh the benefits of information about healthier, alternative food choices. In order to change dietary health behaviour, food manufacturer and policy makers alike need to adopt communication instruments that better account for differences in preferences, shopping habits and overall usage patterns of nutrition labelling information.     

Health Knowledge and Nutritional Adequacy of Female Heads of Households in the United States

Female-headed households—consumer units with a female reference person, with or without children, and with no spouse—are a growing segment of the U.S. population. Data from a recent consumption survey (CSFII-89) are used to identify the socioeconomic determinants of nutritional adequacy for this group. Nonparametric procedures are used to select a parametric model that best describes the data. The results indicate that education, health (nutrition) knowledge, income, and degree of urbanization are important predictors of the overall nutritional status of this population. Among these, health knowledge is the most significant, suggesting that improving such knowledge could lead to more informed decisions and an enhancement of diet quality. Perceptions, demographic variables, time use, and spatial indicators are found to be less important predictors of intake.     

Horizontal and Vertical Intra‐industry Trade: An Empirical Test of the ‘Homogeneity Hypothesis’

In this paper, we study if and how country‐specific factors affect intra‐industry trade (IIT) when heterogeneity among sectors is allowed for. The paper is novel in that it is the first that addresses an issue raised by Greenaway et al. (Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, 1999, 61, 365). Specifically, employing data on a sample of OECD countries over a 10‐year period (1997–1998), we build on and take forward a methodology pioneered by Balassa and Bauwens (Economic Journal, 1987, 97, 923) to study the determinants of horizontal and vertical IIT using a multi‐industry approach. In doing this, we seek to avoid the more extreme measurement problems by allowing for heterogeneity among sectors when country‐specific factors are analysed and among countries when industry‐specific factors are considered. The results are compared to those obtained using the traditional method that does not consider intersectoral heterogeneity. We find that the two models yield statistically different results. Moreover, the tests regarding the choice of model – that is, econometric tests designed to compare one model with another when different sets of explanatory variables are used – confirm the relevance of intersectoral heterogeneity in affecting IIT. To the best of our knowledge, a similar analysis has not yet appeared in the empirical literature on IIT.     

Food consumption patterns,dietary quality and health status of expectant mothers: case studies in suburban and rural communities in Ghana

The study was conducted to determine the food consumption patterns, dietary quality and health status of expectant women and also to assess their level of awareness of nutritional requirements during pregnancy. Food beliefs, taboos and superstitions held by the women were also investigated. Using the purposive sampling technique, 30 pregnant women attending the Maternal and Child Health Clinic at Dodowa (rural) and University Hospital, Legon (suburban), were selected for the study. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information on the respondents’ nutritional knowledge, beliefs, taboos and superstitions and health status. A food frequency questionnaire and the 24‐h dietary recall method were used to obtain information on food consumption patterns and dietary quality. The study revealed that, although the majority of the respondents (83.3%) had some knowledge of nutrition, not all were applying it in their feeding practices because of financial constraints. With regard to consumption patterns, most of the women (83.3%) were having three meals a day, while the rest either ate twice a day or anytime they were hungry. Seventy‐three per cent of the respondents also increased their food intake during pregnancy. Foods eaten were based mainly on starchy roots and tubers, cereals and vegetables. Legumes, oilseeds and fruits were often lacking in the main meals of respondents. Although animal products were consumed daily, the quantities taken were very small to provide for adequate protein, especially in the rural area. Various types of food were avoided by some of the expectant mothers for reasons such as nausea, loss of appetite, taboos and superstition. With regard to dietary quality, respondents from the rural area had diets of poorer quality in terms of nutrient intake compared with those from the suburban area. In both communities, iron contents of diets were quite low. Forty‐seven per cent of the women interviewed were anaemic, with a higher prevalence of anaemia being observed in the rural community. Common ailments reported by the women were dizziness, headache, waist pains and malaria. Based on the results of the study, it was recommended that nutrition education for pregnant women should be stepped up at antenatal clinics especially in rural areas.     

Food choices in Ethiopia: does nutritional information matter?

This article reports results from a framed market experiment conducted to examine whether milk choices are responsive to changes in the nutritional characteristics of milk products. Using a random‐effect Tobit model, we analyzed experimental data collected from 160 participants in urban Ethiopia. It shows that sensory properties play a key role in the acceptance of reduced‐fat milk while the provision of nutrition information has a mixed effect on a price premium. Further, a substantial percentage of participants were found to have a strong preference for whole milk while only 19% of them prefer reduced‐fat milk with 2.8% price premium. The study unveils a heterogeneous preference for the nutritional quality of milk products. Consumers’ health problems and socio‐demographic characteristics influence their preference for the nutritional quality of milk products. The result also shows a nutrition‐taste tradeoff, yet consumers place more value on sensory experience. Contrary to earlier studies, we found that prior belief about milk quality influences how consumers value sensory experience and nutrition information.     

供应链伙伴特性对跨企业知识交易影响路径的实证研究——基于关系质量的中介效应

通过引入关系质量这一中介变量,构建了供应链伙伴特性、关系质量对跨企业知识交易影响的概念模型,其中供应链伙伴特性包括文化相容、资源依赖和知识距离等三个方面内容。利用结构方程模型结合256家供应链上下游企业的调查数据对上述概念模型进行了实证研究。研究结果表明,文化相容、资源依赖对关系质量与知识交易有显著的正向影响;知识距离对关系质量有显著的负向影响,对知识交易负向影响不显著;关系质量对知识交易有显著的正向影响;由于关系质量中介效应的存在,知识距离可以间接地影响知识交易,文化相容对知识交易总的影响最大。     

The algebra of health concerns: implications of consumer perception of health loss,illness and the breakdown of the health system on anxiety

The current and expected future state of the American health care system creates much concern and anxiety at the national and individual level among Americans. This study is in response to the call of the Institute of Medicine to further study the lack of confidence among Americans about their future ability to receive high‐quality health care. This study compares perceived anxiety and its amelioration as a result of three possible health situations: illness with infectious disease, losing one's health and a breakdown of the health care system. This empirical study was conducted within the framework of conjoint analysis. We conducted an experimental design of ideas, identified attributes that increased or reduced anxiety in each of the three health‐related situations and then segmented consumers on the basis of their patterns of reactions to the attributes. We found that the highest anxiety was attributed to the breakdown of the health care system. The segmentation further suggested that the anxiety emerging from the breakdown of society's health care system generated a different extent of anxiety than that which emerged from one's illness or one's loss of own health. The attributes that drove anxiety across the health situations were, surprisingly, charities, one's company, the local hospital and supplemental insurance. Attributes that reduced anxiety differed among segments. The attributes were found to be: close friends, family, distribution of information by authorities and the belief in God. At a practical level, these data and patterns of response allow health care policy makers to enhance the coping ability of patients by understanding the nature of what reduces the anxiety of individual types of patients. The approach in this study provides a person‐centred system for communication and anxiety reduction that can be implemented as part of a public health policy.     

Usage and understanding of food labels among Lebanese shoppers

Food labelling is a population‐based approach to health education that enables consumers to make better choices by providing information at the point of purchase. This study aimed to assess the food label usage and understanding and factors affecting them among Lebanese supermarket shoppers. A cross‐sectional study was conducted among 748 supermarket shoppers in Lebanon between December 2013 and February 2014 using a pre‐coded structured questionnaire. About 29.3 of the shoppers check the food labels every time they buy a food product and 15.7% never do it. Shoppers who do not read food labels identified the long time needed in reading them as top reason (34.9%), while 9.8% answered that they do not understand them. About 55.4%of the surveyed shoppers read the food labels at the supermarkets. About 44.4% of participants agreed that reading food labels is very important, while 30.3% read the food labels depending on the purchased product. Then 19.4% of participants complained that food labels contain too much information and 13.8% claimed that food labels are difficult to understand. About 60.3% think that food labels have helped people in changing their eating habits, while health and nutrition claims affected the product selection among 59.8% of participants. The food label knowledge score average was 63.1%. Older, obese shoppers having kids, suffering from chronic illness or allergies, following a specific diet and residing in big cities scored significantly (p < .05) higher. The low knowledge score necessitates the nutrition education on how to read and use the food labels. Groceries would be the perfect place to reach out mass consumers.     

Policy makers’ paradigms and evidence from consumer interpretations of dietary supplement labels

The regulation of marketplace information regarding health and nutrition is in flux. Nowhere, perhaps, is this more evident than in the dietary supplement industry. Herein, we present an experiment that examines the two major types of claims used for dietary supplements, testing the underlying assumptions made by policy makers. Our study suggests that a direct‐effects consumer decision‐making model does not apply in this context; instead, consumers process label claims through various biasing filters.     

Young child feeding practices and child nutritional status in rural Ghana

A study was conducted in the Manya Krobo district of Ghana with the objective of studying young child feeding practices and child nutrition situation in the area. The study was a cross‐sectional survey involving 400 mothers with young children between 0 and 18 months. A combination of methods, including structured interviews using questionnaire, dietary assessment and anthropometry, was used to collect data for the study. The data obtained were analysed using spss version 10 in Windows. Means and standard deviations were generated for continuous variables and frequency distribution for categorical variables. The results revealed that although breastfeeding rates were high (97%), complementary feeding practices were less than ideal with as many as 14% of the children being introduced to complementary foods below the age of 3 months. The nutritional quality of complementary foods were poor and the prevalence of stunting among the children was high (20%). For adequate complementary feeding and improved child nutrition in this population, nutrition education intervention programmes aimed at improving nutrient intake among young children, through improved diet diversity and increased use of local foods rich in iron and other nutrients, need to be undertaken.     

Italian translation of the questionnaire for professional training evaluation

This work illustrates the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Questionnaire for Professional Training Evaluation, designed and validated by Grohmann and Kauffeld. This 12‐item questionnaire provides for the evaluation of different training outcomes, is time‐efficient, applicable to several professional contexts and shows sound psychometric properties. In order to test the Italian form, we carried out two studies. In Study 1 (N = 125), an exploratory factor analysis led to a two‐factor solution accounting for short‐ and long‐term training outcomes. In Study 2 (N = 122), a five‐model comparison was performed. Although at first a two‐factor solution seemed to emerge, confirmatory factor analysis found the best fit in a six, inter‐correlated, first‐order factors model (satisfaction, utility, knowledge, application to practice, individual organizational results and global organizational results). Relationships with learning transfer, transfer quantity, type of training, training methodologies and individual variables – gender, age and tenure – are explored. Limitations and research and practical implications are discussed.     

Food choice,nutrition education and parental influence on British and Korean primary school children

The nutritional status of children can influence their health and the risk factors for developing chronic diseases later in life. Korea is unique in that it is relatively westernized and yet maintains much of the traditional foods and cooking methods. Effective nutrition education should help children to choose a healthy diet through the establishment of positive dietary practices and habits. The main purpose of this research is to compare awareness towards nutrition education between primary schools in the UK and Korea and nutritional knowledge that children and parents have in these countries. Dietary and healthy eating knowledge data were collected by a questionnaire as part of a case study comparison using one primary school in Manchester, UK, and one in Seoul, Korea. A total of 171 primary school children and 124 parents of the children were recruited. The results indicated that children and parents appeared to be aware of the importance of limiting fat, sodium and sugar intakes, and requiring non‐starch polysaccharide (NSP). However, in the case of some foods they did not have satisfactory nutritional knowledge of which foods were high in fat, salt, sugar and NSP. British children had a better understanding of the health implication of fat than Korean children, whereas more Korean children considered excessive salt intake harmful than British children. There seemed to be differences in dietary pattern and familiarity with food between the two countries. Children identified parents as the main source of nutritional information. Therefore, parents as well as children need to learn about nutrition in order to give appropriate information or advice to improve the diets of their children. Children preferred exciting, fun, positive and a practical approach to learning about nutrition, such as computer packages and cookery classes. Parents wanted schools to give their children more information about nutrition. This research has shown that nutrition education in schools should be concerned not only to provide nutritional knowledge but also to encourage children to choose healthy food by redesigning nutrition education and school meals.     

Association of nutrition concerns and socioeconomic status with exercise habits

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between socio‐economic characteristics and individual health behaviour patterns. Specifically, we looked at how individual demographics (i.e. age, gender, race, marital status, geographic location of households), socio‐economic status (i.e. education, income, children in the households) and respondents’ nutrition concern were related to the major health behaviour (i.e. exercise). Telephone interviews were conducted to collect the data from 2880 US households. A Poisson regression model was estimated to analyse the factors influencing physical exercise habits of adults. Results showed that the key socio‐economic variables influencing the exercise habit of US population were household income, education and family composition. The direct association of nutrition concern with exercise habits implied that health and nutrition programmes should emphasize good eating habit as well as healthy lifestyle.     

Perceptions of food quality: Evidence from a survey in Shanghai

Recent food scandals in China significantly decreased the level of consumer trust toward the food chain, and, at the same time, increased the demand for food quality and safety. This paper investigated perceptions and determinants of food quality among a sample of households in Shanghai. Survey questionnaires were collected between June and December 2014, and a total of 509 interviews were completed. Questions asked about food purchasing behaviours, dietary habits, and the importance of food quality when food shopping. Socio‐demographic and socio‐economic variables were also collected. We used ordered logit regressions to investigate the most significant factors associated with food quality. We found that respondents who frequently bought vegetables were 31% more likely to look for quality attributes (p < .1) and respondents who often bought rice 28% more (p < .01). Branding was also positively associated with the demand for food quality. In particular, consumers considering brand an important element were 25% more likely to believe that the product was of high quality (p < .05). Among socio‐economic variables, higher income and education were significantly associated with food quality demand. Our results indicated that consumers in Shanghai paid increasing attention to food quality, and they especially associated it with traditional foods and brand. We suggested that policy makers and stakeholders in the food chain should strengthen food quality certification systems, and help consumers make better and more informed choices.     

Perceived Time Pressure and Recommended Dietary Practices: The Moderating Effect of Knowledge of Nutrition

This study investigates the effects of perceived time pressure on adherence to recommended dietary practices (RDPs). Two potential moderators of the negative effects of perceived time pressure on food behavior are investigated. These are (1) human capital including both knowledge of nutrition and years of formal education and (2) health risks perceived to be associated with a poor diet. As hypothesized, perceived time pressure has a negative effect on adherence to RDPs. However, results also demonstrate that knowledge of nutrition can mitigate the negative effects of perceived time pressure on food behavior. Specifically, when knowledge of nutrition is low, the relationship between perceived time pressure and RDPs is substantial and negative (−.79). In contrast, when knowledge of nutrition is high, the relationship between perceived time pressure and RDPs is near zero. These results suggest that consumer education dealing with nutrition can help to offset negative effects of perceived time pressures on dietary practices.     

Price rather than nutrition information the main influencer of consumer food purchasing behaviour in South Africa: A qualitative study

In South Africa there has been a paucity of data on food and nutrition labelling since the publication of the new food‐labelling legislation. This study aimed to explore whether the nutrition information on food products influences consumer purchasing behaviour; reasons for reading or ignoring nutrition information on labels, and to investigate expectations regarding food / nutrition labelling. Nine focus‐group discussions were held with adult consumers (N=67) in Cape Town, South Africa. Food price was sometimes the only consideration when selecting food products, irrespective of quality and nutritional value. When buying products for the first time, consumers were more inclined to read the nutrition information compared to habitual purchases or buying known brands. The list of ingredients, nutrient content claims and specific health endorsement logos were considered important. Reasons for reading nutrition information were mainly to assess the nutritional value or health properties, to avoid certain ingredients/allergens and to determine quality. Consumers struggled to understand the information on labels, specifically the nutrition information table. A lack of time or interest, price concerns and trust in labelling information also emerged as reasons why consumers ignore the nutrition information. There is a need for simpler food labelling, more graphics, and less complex terminology, information overload and quantitative information. It is recommended that a standardised front‐of‐package labelling scheme and a single health endorsement logo for South Africa be considered. More should be done to educate consumers on utilising the information on food labels correctly, in order for them to make healthier food choices.     

Nutrition knowledge and lunchtime eating habits of secondary school children in Lothian

A total of 103 secondary school children attending five schools managed by Lothian Regional Council were surveyed to establish nutrition knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about healthy eating and their patterns of food consumption at lunchtime on schooldays. The results indicate that nutrition knowledge was surprisingly good and the children surveyed were proficient at identifying foods that were high in fibre and low in sugar, salt and fat. When questioned about their liking for foods, however, many identified foods that were characteristically high in fat, sugar and salt, and low in fibre. Examination of the dietary diaries kept at lunchtime confirmed that consumption of these types of foods was typically high, with very low consumption of fruit and vegetables being reported and high intakes of carbonated drinks, confectionery and chocolate. This conflict between nutrition knowledge and food choice patterns is discussed in the light of the probable future effects on health and the implications for health educators.