Food shoppers' nutrition attitudes and relationship to dietary and lifestyle practices

The study compared dietary and lifestyle practices of 5689 adults in the US Department of Agriculture's Diet and Health Knowledge Survey conducted in 1994 to 1996. The adults were grouped based on their attitudes toward the importance of nutrition when buying food. A high percentage of women (69.8%) than men (55.2%) reported that nutrition was very important to them when buying food. Household income and educational status did not affect their nutrition attitude. After controlling for age, sex, and other socioeconomic and demographic variables, adults who considered nutrition very important had a lower energy intake and consumed more nutritious foods such as fruits, nonstarchy vegetables, and fluid milk than their counterparts. They read food labels and adopted several dietary fat reduction strategies. The adults who did not consider nutrition very important were 21% more likely to watch television for more than 2 hours a day, 38% more likely to be a smoker, and 32% less likely to exercise. In conclusion, the adults who placed importance on nutrition were also likely to practice a healthful lifestyle. Health interventions should include a nutrition component emphasizing the importance of good nutrition.