Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations for healthful dietary change in African Americans.
OBJECTIVE
To describe associations of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations for dietary change with participant characteristics and current diet among African Americans.


METHODS
Cross-sectional survey of 658 African American adults in North Carolina provided information on intrinsic (self-image and health concerns) and extrinsic (social influence) motivation scales, participant characteristics, and diet.


RESULTS
Most respondents considered it important to change their diet for health reasons; fewer were motivated by self-image or social influence. Motivation scales were significantly associated with demographic, behavioral, and psychosocial characteristics and fat, but not fruit/vegetable consumption, after adjustment for covariates (P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Tailoring on intrinsic and extrinsic motives may improve the effectiveness of dietary interventions in African Americans.
Satia
Jessie A
JA
Department of Epidemiology, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Disease, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA. jsatia@unc.edu
Galanko
Joseph A
JA
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D004041:Dietary Fats; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D004041:Dietary Fats