title: The effect of girls attitudes towards the health benefits of food on selected dietary characteristics. The GEBahealth Project.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dietary habits are formed at an early age and to a large extent they affect such nutritional behaviour in adulthood. Mothers in particular, influence family nutrition. In this respect, their knowledge, attitudes and behaviour about nutrition are responsible for the schooling of future generations. Many aspects of the link between food and health with nutritional behaviour in girls remain, however, unknown.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effect of girls attitudes towards the health benefits of food on selected dietary characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Study included 186 girls aged 13-21 years. Using a food frequency method the three dietary characteristics were obtained; food intake variety, fibre intake and fat intake, all of them expressed by a graded scale. Three validated questionnaires were used; FIVeQ, BSQFVF and BSQF. The girls attitudes towards the health benefits of food were rated from one of the survey's six parts, comprising of 8 statements from the Health and Taste Attitude Scale (HTAS) accordingly graded. Statistical analyses used logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean index of food intake variety was 28.7 foods/week (ranging 0-60), whilst the mean dietary intakes of fibre and fat were 16.7 points (0-36 range) and 18.2 points (0-52 range), respectively. Girls from the upper tertile with favourable attitudes on food health benefits had an odds ratio (OR) for adequate fat intake (<22 points) of 3.1 (95% CI: 1.28, 7.52; p<0.05), as compared to those from the middle-neutral attitudes tertile, with an OR = 1.00. The ORs for the relatively high food intake variety and acceptable fibre intake were 1.05 in girls from the positive-upper tertiles, which were not significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The positive attitudes of girls towards the health benefits of food are conducive for making more favourable food choices and lowered dietary fat intake, however this did not significantly affect fibre intake nor food intake variety.
authors: Department of Human Nutrition and Hygiene, Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Life Sciences in Poznan, Poland.
authors: Katarzyna
authors: K
authors: Zaborowicz
authors: Department of Human Nutrition and Hygiene, Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Life Sciences in Poznan, Poland.
authors: Jolanta
authors: J
authors: Czarnocińska
authors: Department of Human Nutrition, Faculty of Food Science, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland.
authors: Lidia
authors: L
authors: Wądołowska
authors: Department of Human Nutrition, Faculty of Food Science, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland.
authors: Joanna
authors: J
authors: Kowalkowska
authors: Department of Organization and Consumption, Faculty of Human Nutrition and Consumer Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences - SGGW, Poland.
authors: Marzena
authors: M
authors: Jeżewska-Zychowicz
authors: Department of Trade and Services, Eating Behaviour Research Group, Faculty of Entrepreneurship and Quality Science, Maritime University in Gdynia, Poland.
authors: Ewa
authors: E
authors: Babicz-Zielińska
authors: Department of Human Nutrition, Faculty of Food Science, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland.
authors: Kamila
authors: K
authors: Sobaś
authors: Department of Trade and Services, Eating Behaviour Research Group, Faculty of Entrepreneurship and Quality Science, Maritime University in Gdynia, Poland.
authors: Witold
authors: W
authors: Kozirok
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017195:Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D001294:Attitude to Health; D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011044:Poland; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D004043:Dietary Fiber; D004044:Dietary Proteins