MyPyramid-omega-3 fatty acid nutrition education intervention may improve food groups and omega-3 fatty acid consumption in university middle-aged women

This study was conducted to assess the impact of a nutrition education intervention on food groups and omega-3 (n-3) fatty acid consumption in middle-aged women. We hypothesized that participants who received educational materials about n-3 fatty acids would have a higher consumption of foods rich in n-3 fatty acids than the MyPyramid group. The first phase of this study used the qualitative method to identify the beliefs and interests of middle-aged women about the topic of nutrition. Data were collected using semistructured individual interviews. Phase 2 was a quantitative study to assess the effectiveness of MyPyramid to improve dietary intake and self-efficacy after a 6-week online nutrition education intervention using a blog for university middle-aged female staff. The impact of n-3 fatty acid education on food consumption and self-efficacy was also assessed. Eight female staff (aged 45-65 years) in a Midwestern university participated in the interviews. Data were coded, and 3 themes emerged: “health,” “lifestyle,” and “availability.” Eighty-eight middle-aged women participated in the intervention study and were randomized into either an intervention group or a control group. The overall consumption of the food groups was lower than the MyPyramid recommendation, except in the meat and beans group. There was a trend that participants were less certain to include n-3 fatty acids than whole grains in their diets. Using MyPyramid and supplementary information about n-3 fatty acids did not significantly affect participants' dietary consumption or self-efficacy to increase consumption from the food groups or to increase n-3 fatty acid consumption. Blog-based nutrition education is acceptable for this target population.