title: Knowledge about sources of dietary fibres and health effects using a validated scale: a cross-country study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Dietary fibre (DF) is one of the components of diet that strongly contributes to health improvements, particularly on the gastrointestinal system. Hence, this work intended to evaluate the relations between some sociodemographic variables such as age, gender, level of education, living environment or country on the levels of knowledge about dietary fibre (KADF), its sources and its effects on human health, using a validated scale.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study was a cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A methodological study was conducted with 6010 participants, residing in 10 countries from different continents (Europe, America, Africa). The instrument was a questionnaire of self-response, aimed at collecting information on knowledge about food fibres. The instrument was used to validate a scale (KADF) which model was used in the present work to identify the best predictors of knowledge. The statistical tools used were as follows: basic descriptive statistics, decision trees, inferential analysis (t-test for independent samples with Levene test and one-way ANOVA with multiple comparisons post hoc tests).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that the best predictor for the three types of knowledge evaluated (about DF, about its sources and about its effects on human health) was always the country, meaning that the social, cultural and/or political conditions greatly determine the level of knowledge. On the other hand, the tests also showed that statistically significant differences were encountered regarding the three types of knowledge for all sociodemographic variables evaluated: age, gender, level of education, living environment and country.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results showed that to improve the level of knowledge the actions planned should not be delineated in general as to reach all sectors of the populations, and that in addressing different people, different methodologies must be designed so as to provide an effective health education.
authors.affiliation: CI&DETS, Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, Portugal. Electronic address: raquelguine@esav.ipv.pt.
authors.forename: R P F
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Guiné
authors.affiliation: CI&DETS, Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, Portugal.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.affiliation: CI&DETS, Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, Portugal.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: CI&DETS, Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, Portugal.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Correia
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Maimonides University, Argentina.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leal
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rumbak
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: I C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Barić
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Komes
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Satalić
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Studies, University of Zadar, Croatia.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Sarić
authors.affiliation: University of Medicine and Pharmacy from Tirgu-Mures, Romania.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tarcea
authors.affiliation: University of Medicine and Pharmacy from Tirgu-Mures, Romania.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fazakas
authors.affiliation: Public Health Institute, Centre for Public Health, Tetovo, Macedonia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jovanoska
authors.affiliation: Public Health Institute, Centre for Public Health, Tetovo, Macedonia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vanevski
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, University of Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vittadini
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, University of Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pellegrini
authors.affiliation: National Agricultural R&I Centre, Food Science Research Institute, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Szűcs
authors.affiliation: National Agricultural R&I Centre, Food Science Research Institute, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Harangozó
authors.affiliation: Genetic Engineering Institute, University of Sadat City, Egypt.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El-Kenawy
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Menofiya University, Egypt.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: El-Shenawy
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Engineering, Abant İzzet Baysal University, Turkey.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yalçın
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Engineering, Abant İzzet Baysal University, Turkey.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kösemeci
authors.affiliation: LUA Latvia University of Agriculture, Latvia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Klava
authors.affiliation: LUA Latvia University of Agriculture, Latvia.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Straumite
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000349:Africa; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000569:Americas; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004043:Dietary Fiber; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Dietary fibre; Health benefits; Sources of fibre; Survey