Factors Associated with Identification and Consumption of Whole-Grain Foods in a Low-Income Population

Abstract

Background US Dietary Guidelines include recommendations to increase whole-grain consumption, but most Americans, especially low-income adults, fail to consume adequate amounts. Objectives The aim of this study was to determine major factors that may affect whole-grain consumption among low-income adults. Methods A mixed methods approach including a whole-grain food identification activity and in-depth interview was used to determine the factors that influence whole-grain consumption based on the constructs of the integrative behavioral model. Participants were recruited from food pantries in the northeastern United States. Descriptive statistics were conducted for demographic data and survey scores, and logistic regression was used to examine differences in whole-grain accuracy by demographic characteristics. Results Low-income adults ( n = 169) completed a quantitative survey, with a subset ( n = 60) recruited for an in-depth qualitative interview. When completing the whole-grain identification activity, most low-income adults identified popcorn incorrectly as refined grain (71%), whereas the refined-grain food commonly identified as whole grain was white rice (42%). Less than half of low-income adults (46%) identified the majority of whole-grain foods correctly. Age, race, and education were not associated with the ability to identify whole-grain foods correctly. However, younger adults (aged 18–49 y) were less likely to identify popcorn as a whole-grain food (OR = 0.42, P = 0.02) compared with older adults (aged ≥50 y). According to the qualitative results, additional barriers, such as perceived cost, may also affect whole-grain food consumption among low-income adults. Conclusions Low-income adults’ ability to correctly identify whole-grain foods and having a perception that whole-grain foods are higher in cost may be the overarching barriers to consuming adequate amounts. Future efforts should focus on strategies improving identification and seeking affordable whole-grain foods to increase whole-grain consumption in low-income adults.

Impact of Fermentation on the Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Whole Cereal Grains: A Mini Review

“…This is in tandem with a study on the consumption of WGs foods from brewers' spent grain, which indicates that hereditary consumers of whole grain foods will be more receptive to its consumption as compared to their refined foods counterpart [133]. Some studies have also indicated barriers for consuming WG foods such as the lack of knowledge about its health benefits, challenges with cooking/preparation time, negative sensory perception, perceived cost, and the lack of availability of whole grains [134][135][136].…”

Healthful grain foods consumption by São Paulo residents: a 12-year analysis and future trends

“…These population subgroups also presented an increasing trend in the amount of grain foods meeting the ≤10:1 ratio consumed, except for individuals in the lowest income category (family income per capita less than 1 minimum wage), which reinforce the importance of affordability in order to improve the consumption of healthful grain foods. Prior study among low-income adults in the USA found the ability to correctly identify wholegrain foods and the perception of higher cost as the major barriers to increase the consumption of these foods (9) . Nevertheless, the proportion of the population consuming any grain food meeting the ≤10:1 ratio increased even among lower income categories, from 4 % in 2003 to 12 % in 2015, which points to an improvement during this time.…”

“…The required increase in wholegrain foods intake is hindered by the population's inability to correctly identify these foods, along with the ongoing debate on the definition of what constitutes a wholegrain food (7)(8)(9) . In this sense, the presence per 10 g of carbohydrate of at least 1 g of fibre (≤10:1 ratio) was proposed by the American Heart Association as a metric to identify fibre-rich whole grains (10) .…”

Wholegrains: a review on the amino acid profile, mineral content, physicochemical, bioactive composition and health benefits

“…According to AACCI (American Association of Cereal Chemists International) 'wholegrains can be defined as the intact, cracked, ground or flaked caryopsis, whose anatomical parts, endosperm, bran and germ are found in the same quantity as present in the intact original grain'. Wholegrains are a rich source of nutrients and are more nutritious than refined ones as they contain higher amounts of dietary fibres, macro-and micronutrients and bioactive compounds that are retained from germ and bran fractions (Chea & Mobley, 2019). Wholegrains have a beneficial effect on several lifestylerelated diseases like cardiovascular diseases, constipation, colon cancer, type-II diabetes, weight management (Reynolds et al, 2019) and also influence the beneficial metabolism of glucose, blood lipids, adiposity and inflammation markers (Roager et al, 2019).…”