Relationship of social roles and nutrition beliefs to fat avoidance practices: investigation of a US model among Danish women.

OBJECTIVE

This study was designed to investigate the associations among women's social roles, their nutrition beliefs, and their dietary fat avoidance practices. Role theory and prior qualitative research among US women provided the theoretical framework.

DESIGN/SUBJECTS: A random-sample mail survey (76% response) was used to gather information on the usual pattern of dietary fat use, nutrition beliefs, and social positions of Danish women aged 30 to 60 years. A fat avoidance score was calculated for each respondent on the basis of 12 fat consumption practices. Sequential multiple linear regression was used to develop an explanatory model for fat avoidance using responses from 594 women.

RESULTS

Interactions between nutrition attitudes and beliefs and social roles suggested that the roles themselves did not influence fat avoidance practices, but the nutrition beliefs associated with particular roles did have an influence. Among employed women, fat avoidance was lower among those who perceived many barriers to healthful eating. Among women who were not employed, fat avoidance was lower among those who perceived little social support for healthful eating. The association of fat avoidance with caretaking responsibility varied by age group. Caretaking was positively associated with fat avoidance among women in their forties, but not in older or younger age groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Nutrition messages should be tailored to fit women's unique social roles and the beliefs associated with them. Nutrition professionals in Denmark and the United States can adapt these findings to their own cultural context.