Sources of nutrition information for persons living in Trinidad and Tobago

Health consumers worldwide obtain nutrition information from various sources; however, the sources Trinidadians and Tobagonians accessed were unclear. This cross-sectional, descriptive study ascertained from which sources Trinidadians and Tobagonians obtained nutrition information. Participants (n = 845) were surveyed with questions regarding demographics and nutrition information sources. Nearly 100% agreed nutrition information was important. Persons 18-64 years old mainly accessed print media (p<0.01) and ≥ 65years old predominantly accessed the non-print media. Significantly more tertiary educated people, ≥ 35 years old, retrieved information from print media (p=0.001), health care professionals (p=0.001), food labels (p=0.006), and non-print media (p=0.03) when compared to those < 35 years with similar education. Tertiary educated people (67%), selected the Internet when compared to those with without tertiary education (33%) (p<0.001). Knowing the nutrition information sources accessed, dietitians will be able to provide consistent, accurate, age specific nutrition information and promote healthy eating among Trinidadians and Tobagonians.

An Evaluation of Three Nutrition Labeling Formats for Restaurant Menus

This study evaluated three menu nutrition labeling formats: calorie only information, a healthy symbol, and a nutrient list. Daily sales data for a table-service restaurant located on a university campus were recorded during a four-week period from January to February 2013 to examine changes in average nutritional content of the entrees purchased by customers when different nutrition labels were provided. A survey was conducted to assess the customers’ use of nutrition labels, their preferences among the three labeling formats, their entree selections, their cognitive beliefs with regard to healthy eating, and their demographic characteristics. A total of 173 questionnaires were returned and included in data analysis. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and regression analyses were performed using SAS. The results showed that favorable attitudes toward healthy eating and the use of nutrition labels were both significantly associated with healthier entrée selections. Age and diet status had some effects on the respondent’s use of nutrition labels. The calorie only information format was the most effective in reducing calories contained in the entrees sold, and the nutrient list was most effective in reducing fat and saturated fat content of the entrees sold. The healthy symbol was the least effective format, but interestingly enough, was most preferred by respondents. The findings provide support for future research and offer implications for policy makers, public health professionals, and foodservice operations.

Nutrition Knowledge of Amateur Bicyclists in South Florida, USA

Nutrition is an important component in chronic disease prevention. Diet plays an important role in the athletic performance and the overall health of the amateur bicyclists; yet information concerning diet and amateur bicyclists is lacking. This was a cross-sectional, convenience sample of 125 amateur bicyclists ages 18-65 years from South Florida who consented to SurveyMonkey, web-designed survey on nutrition knowledge. The survey was validated for endurance runners. Less than one-quarter of the participants had adequate nutrition knowledge (score of 75% or higher). Female bicyclists scored higher on nutrition knowledge as compared to males. There were no differences in nutrition knowledge by race, marital status, education or income. Accessibility to nutrition information is abundant, yet the validity of this information is questionable. Amateur bicyclist may not have access to the health professionals available to professional athletes. There is a need for nutrition counseling targeting amateur athletes.

Hospital discharge planning in the provision of food and nutrition services for older adults post discharge

This descriptive study examined whether discharge planning ensures that food and nutrition services are provided to older adults following hospital discharge. The questionnaire was distributed to discharge planning professionals in 11 South Florida hospitals. Of the 84 respondents (88% response rate), most were female nurse case managers. Almost all reported job barriers including excessive patient loads, too many responsibilities, and limited community services. While physicians, registered nurses, social workers, physical therapists, were deemed "very important" in discharge planning,registered dietitians were not, and almost half consulted them infrequently, if at all. Over 84% said nutrition-related medical conditions/factors, "strongly influenced" discharge planning. Many did not have adequate information about nutrition-related community resources, eg, home delivered meals, food stamps, outpatient registered dietitians. Therewere no universal approaches in meeting the nutrition needs in 6 case scenarios. More communication among community services and hospitals is needed.

A content analysis of food and nutrition television advertisements

Television (TV) reaches more people than any other medium which makes it an important source of health information. Since TV ads often offer information obliquely, this study investigated implied health messages found in food and nutrition TV ads. The goals were to determine the proportion of food and nutrition ads among all TV advertising and to use content analysis to identify their implied messages and health claims. A randomly selected sample of TV ads were collected over a 28-day period beginning May 8, 1987. The sample contained 3547 ads; 725 (20%) were food-related. All were analyzed. About 10% of food-related TV ads contained a health claim. Twenty-five representative ads of the 725 food ads were also reviewed by 10 dietitians to test the reliability of the instrument. Although the dietitians agreed upon whether a health claim existed in a televised food ad, their agreement was poor when evaluating the accuracy of the claim. The number of food-related ads dropped significantly on Saturday, but the number of alcohol ads rose sharply on Saturday and Sunday. Snack ads were shown more often on Thursday, but snack commercials were also numerous on Saturday morning and afternoon, as were cereal ads. Ads for snack foods accounted for the greatest proportion of ads (20%) while fast food accounted for only 7%. Alcohol constituted about 9% of all food and nutrition ads.