Knowledge about sources of dietary fibres and health effects using a validated scale: a cross-country study.

OBJECTIVES: 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. STUDY DESIGN: 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.

Knowledge about dietary fibres (KADF): development and validation of an evaluation instrument through structural equation modelling (SEM).

OBJECTIVES: Because there is scientific evidence that an appropriate intake of dietary fibre should be part of a healthy diet, given its importance in promoting health, the present study aimed to develop and validate an instrument to evaluate the knowledge of the general population about dietary fibres. STUDY DESIGN: The present study was a cross sectional study. METHODS: The methodological study of psychometric validation was conducted with 6010 participants, residing in 10 countries from three continents. The instrument is a questionnaire of self-response, aimed at collecting information on knowledge about food fibres. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was chosen as the analysis of the main components using varimax orthogonal rotation and eigenvalues greater than 1. In confirmatory factor analysis by structural equation modelling (SEM) was considered the covariance matrix and adopted the maximum likelihood estimation algorithm for parameter estimation. RESULTS: Exploratory factor analysis retained two factors. The first was called dietary fibre and promotion of health (DFPH) and included seven questions that explained 33.94% of total variance (α = 0.852). The second was named sources of dietary fibre (SDF) and included four questions that explained 22.46% of total variance (α = 0.786). The model was tested by SEM giving a final solution with four questions in each factor. This model showed a very good fit in practically all the indexes considered, except for the ratio χ(2)/df. The values of average variance extracted (0.458 and 0.483) demonstrate the existence of convergent validity; the results also prove the existence of discriminant validity of the factors (r(2) = 0.028) and finally good internal consistency was confirmed by the values of composite reliability (0.854 and 0.787). CONCLUSIONS: This study allowed validating the KADF scale, increasing the degree of confidence in the information obtained through this instrument in this and in future studies.

Dietary intakes among Croatian schoolchildren and adolescents.

The aim of this study was to evaluate dietary intakes among 575 schoolchildren and adolescents in Croatia because of the lack of data. The completely quantified Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) method was used to identify dietary intakes. Body weight, height and body fat were measured also. Daily energy intake was 95.5 and 83.3% RDA in children and adolescents respectively. Protein intake was very high in both children and adolescents (235.9 vs. 139.6% RDA). Children achieved RDAs for more micronutrients than adolescents did. Children had significantly higher cholesterol (263.7 vs. 231.3 mg) and dietary fiber intake (84.7 vs. 69.2% of the "age + 5" rule). Adolescents consumed significantly more fruit than children (324.8 vs. 204.2 g/day) did. Consumption of vegetables did not differ significantly (269.1 and 255.7 g/day in children and adolescents respectively). In more than 60% of children and adolescents, breakfast provided more than 30% of daily energy intake. Soft drinks and fast food consumption correlated in both children (r = 0.29; p < 0.01) and adolescents (r = 0.43; p < 0.001). No significant correlation was found between BMI and dietetic parameters. Percentage of body fat negatively correlated with fruit intake in children (r = -0.20; p < 0.05) and with intake of cereal products (r = -0.34; p < 0.001) and milk (r = -0.22; p < 0.05) in adolescents.