title: Health Behaviours and Awareness of Canada's Food Guide: A Population-based Study.
abstract: Lifestyle behaviours among adults reporting awareness of Canada's Food Guide (CFG) are described.
  
  
  
  Data from a cross-sectional survey of adults from Alberta were used to estimate the prevalence of reported health behaviours among respondents aware of the CFG.
  
  
  
  Respondents (n = 1044) reported general awareness of CFG (mean age 50.3 years; 54.2% female) of whom 82.2% reported awareness of specific CFG recommendations. Respondents reported frequently reading food labels (>58.0%), reading the number of calories (45.5%), the amount of sodium (49.5%), the amount of fat (46.7%), and the type of fat (45.5%) on the food label. Most respondents (90.0%) reported frequently selecting foods to promote health. Approximately one-third of the respondents (35.8%) reported frequently consuming ≥5 portions of vegetables and fruit per day and regularly participating in physical activity (55.3%). Body weight was perceived as healthy by 63.4% of the respondents. Most engaged in 2 health behaviours frequently. Adjusting for important socio-demographic characteristics, those who reported frequently consuming ≥5 portions of vegetables and fruit per day were more likely to engage in a second health behaviour outlined in CGF (OR: 23.6, 95% CI (16.2-34.4)).
  
  
  
  Awareness of CFG did not translate to positive health behaviours. More proactive population level strategies to support specific health behaviours as outlined in CFG might be warranted.
authors.affiliation: b Centre for Nursing and Health Studies, Faculty of Health Disciplines, Athabasca University, Athabasca, AB.
authors.forename: Nonsikelelo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mathe
authors.affiliation: c Alberta Centre for Active Living, Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB.
authors.forename: Calypse B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Agborsangaya
authors.affiliation: c Alberta Centre for Active Living, Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB.
authors.forename: Christina C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Loitz
authors.affiliation: a Alliance for Canadian Health Outcomes Research in Diabetes, School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB.
authors.forename: Jeffrey A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: a Alliance for Canadian Health Outcomes Research in Diabetes, School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB.|b Centre for Nursing and Health Studies, Faculty of Health Disciplines, Athabasca University, Athabasca, AB.
authors.forename: Steven T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000416:Alberta; D001835:Body Weight; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004034:Diet Surveys; D000072001:Diet, Healthy; D004041:Dietary Fats; D002149:Energy Intake; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D005515:Food Labeling; D005518:Food Preferences; D005638:Fruit; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D012982:Sodium, Dietary; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014675:Vegetables
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D012982:Sodium, Dietary