Perceptions towards a healthy diet among a sample of university people in Portugal (original) (raw)
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The aim of this study was to determine the desire to lose weight in a group of university students, and to analyse the influence of this desire on declared food habits. The degree of knowledge on what constitutes a balanced diet was also determined. Design: Cross-sectional population survey. Subjects: The study subjects were 234 university students (48 males and 186 females) aged 22.371.5 y. The weight and height of each were recorded. All subjects were questioned on their desire to lose weight, habitual food intake frequencies, and about what they considered to constitute a balanced diet. Results: Approximately half the population (47.9%), both male (47.8%) and female (47.9%), expressed a desire to lose weight, even though the percentage of overweight students was low (11.1% overall, although much greater among male students [39.6%] than female students [3.8]). The body mass index (BMI) of those who wanted to lose weight was greater than that of those who did not. Nonetheless, the majority of subjects (especially females) showed BMIs within the normal range (18-25 kg/m 2). Among those who wished to lose weight, the consumption of sweet foods was lower F although these subjects believed they ought to consume even less. It was also thought necessary that egg consumption be reduced, although no differences were recorded in declared consumption between those who wished to lose weight and those who did not. Conclusions: The results show that there is great concern over body weight, although no great differences were seen in the food habits and nutrition knowledge of those who wished to lose weight and those who did not.
Perceived barriers of, and benefits to, healthy eating reported by a Spanish national sample
Public Health Nutrition, 1999
Objective: A national survey was developed in order to assess the difficulties and the potential benefits that the adult Spanish population perceive when they try to eat a healthier diet and also to help nutrition educators to develop relevant and specific strategies to promote healthy eating. Design: The study survey was carried out according to an established protocol on a representative sample of 1009 Spanish subjects over 15 years of age selected by a multi-stage procedure. This study belongs to a partnership in a pan-European survey about food, nutrition and health. The analysis was focused on the evaluation of the seven most frequently chosen barriers and benefits. Results: There was a trend to select as the main barriers: 'irregular work hours' (29.7%), 'willpower' (29.7%) and 'unappealing food' (21.3%), while 'prevent disease' (73.6%) was the most frequently selected benefit to healthy eating. About 20% of the subjects said they did not have any difficulty eating healthier and most people believed that healthy eating was associated with at least one benefit. Conclusions: In Spain, nutrition educators should be aware that an irregular and busy lifestyle, willpower and food-related factors (such as price and unappealing foods) are the main perceived barriers to healthy eating. Conversely, the prevention and health promotion aspects are the main perceived benefits.