A comparison of knowledge and attitudes about diet and health among 35- to 75-year-old adults in the United States and Geneva, Switzerland

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study compared responses of US and Geneva residents to items on analogous questionnaires concerning knowledge and attitudes about diet and health. METHODS: Comparable data were available from 2 population-based sample surveys: the Cancer Control Supplement of the 1987 National Health Interview Survey and the 1994 Bus Sante 2000 in Geneva, Switzerland. Samples included 10,366 US respondents and 698 Geneva respondents, aged 35 to 74 years. The analysis involved descriptive statistics, contingency tables, and linear regression models. RESULTS: In both the United States and Geneva, health consciousness was greater among women and more highly educated persons than among other groups. Compared with Americans, Genevans assigned more importance to avoiding salt, sugar, and overweight (odds ratio = 1.6, 2.9, and 5.9, respectively) and less importance to lowering cholesterol (odds ratio = 0.6). Genevans were more likely to recognize the relatively high fiber content of lettuce, carrots, and apples. Recognition of low-fat foods was slightly better in the United States. CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge and attitudes differed despite high general diet and health awareness in both populations. Identifying why generally similar dietary guidance messages are embraced to different extents across cultures may facilitate global implementation.

Health Awareness among University Students in Jordan

“…These results can be explained that students who got high averages are more acquainted with health issues compared to other students who got low marks. The results of this study are compatible with the results of the following studies: Susan's et al (2001), Al-Qadoumi's (2005), and Abd Al-Haqq & Others' (2012).…”

Dietary Behaviour and Socioeconomic Position: The Role of Physical Activity Patterns

“…Hence, the clustering of ‘unhealthy’ behaviours among low-status groups, in terms of low leisure-time activity and high energy-dense food intake (sugar, fat) [10], may be explained in part by the structural, underlying factor of physically-demanding work. In addition to structural factors, however, awareness of diet and health, both as better knowledge and as a more positive attitude among the higher educated, may also have contributed to a more healthy dietary behaviour in this group [36]. Moreover, the higher intake of energy through the higher consumption of alcohol among the higher compared to the lower educated, may also be a reason why they consume less energy from other sources such as sugar or fat.…”

The influence of socio-demographic, psychological and knowledge-related variables alongside perceived cooking and food skills abilities in the prediction of diet quality in adults: a nationally representative cross-sectional study

“…A limitation of the findings was the relatively low amount of variance explained for fibre intake as measured by the DINE (10.1 %) compared to fat intake and ECI scores; however, fibre intake is below average in the UK [39] with fibre intake guidelines less well known in multiple countries including the US and Europe [40] so perhaps this limited the findings. However, for the ECI and fat intake, approximately 20 % variance being explained for both is higher than in previous similar studies [25, 30].…”