title: Lack of awareness of public health promotion messages among a group of adult New Zealanders who meet national guidelines for food intake and physical activity.
abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the awareness of national health promotion messages in a group of self-selected New Zealanders. This study involved 104 self-selected New Zealanders (41 men and 63 women) over the age of 40. Awareness of national health promotion messages was assessed using a mailed out questionnaire, and 69 of these were returned. Basic anthropometric measurements were made (height, weight, hip and waist circumference) and habitual physical activity was defined using a questionnaire. Food intake was estimated by 24-h dietary recall. Overall, this group of people met the New Zealand national guidelines for exercise, physical activity and food intake. There was good awareness of the public health organisations in New Zealand, but only half the people that we sampled had a general idea about the content of the health messages of these organisations. This group of New Zealand adults had a healthy lifestyle that was not associated with a high awareness of public health messages, suggesting that other sources of health information are used.
authors.affiliation: Milk and Health Research Centre, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand. J.H.Green@massey.ac.nz
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: F E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Boyle
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000886:Anthropometry; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001364:Awareness; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D004435:Eating; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand; D011634:Public Health; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires