Benchmarks and Blinders: How Canadian Women Utilize the Nutrition Facts Table.

PURPOSE: To better understand how consumers use the Nutrition Facts Table (NFT) in their everyday shopping decisions and food consumption habits. METHODS: Thirteen Canadian females were interviewed about how they use the NFT in their food choices. RESULTS: Different elements of the front of the package served different purposes. Health claims and health checks drew attention to the product, but were not highly trusted. Ingredient lists were used to find "real food." NFTs were considered important with each participant reporting an individualized strategy for using the NFT characterized by the application of benchmarks and blinders. The term "blinders" reflected only seeing and using one specific nutrient by assessing whether or not it exceeded a certain "benchmark" established by the participant. Therefore, the level of one specific nutrient determined the healthfulness of the product and the subsequent purchase/consumption decision. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that NFTs should be redesigned. Some ideas for redesign include only listing "unhealthy" nutrients, having serving sizes more congruent to what is eaten in a typical sitting, making it easier to identify when a food may be high in a nutrient, and providing ways to allow the NFT to be used to meet personal, individualized needs.

Diagnosis of adverse events after hysterectomy with postoperative self-care web applications: A pilot study.

Increased pressures from multiple sources are leading to earlier patient discharge following surgery. Our objective was to test the feasibility of self-care web applications to inform women if, when, and where to seek help for symptoms after hysterectomy. We asked 31 women recovering at home after hysterectomy at two centers to sign into a website on a schedule. For each session, the website informed them about normal postoperative symptoms and prompted them to complete an interactive symptom questionnaire that provided detailed information on flagged responses. We interviewed eight women who experienced an adverse event. Six of these women had used the web application regularly, each indicating they used the information to guide them in seeking care for their complications. These data support that self-care applications may empower patients to manage their own care and present to appropriate health care providers and venues when they experience abnormal symptoms.

Canadians' perceptions of food, diet, and health--a national survey.

BACKGROUND: Poor nutrition is harmful to one's health as it can lead to overweight and obesity and a number of chronic diseases. Understanding consumer perceptions toward diet and nutrition is critical to advancing nutrition-related population health interventions to address such issues. The purpose of this paper was to examine Canadians' perceived health and diet status, compared to their actual health status, and general concern about their own diet and beliefs about health. Also analyzed were some of the perceived barriers to eating "healthy" foods, with a focus on the availability of "healthy" processed foods. METHODS: Two surveys were administered online to a group of Canadian panelists from all ten provinces during May 2010 to January 2011. Thirty thousand were invited; 6,665 completed the baseline survey and 5,494 completed the second survey. Panelists were selected to be nationally representative of the Canadian adult population by age, sex, province and education level, according to 2006 census data. RESULTS: Approximately one third of Canadians perceived their health or diet to be very good while very few Canadians perceived their health or diet to be very poor. While the majority of Canadians believed food and nutrition to be very important for improving one's health, fewer Canadians were concerned about their own diets. The majority of Canadians reported difficulty finding "healthy" processed foods (low in salt and sugar and with sufficient vitamins and minerals). Many also reported difficulty finding healthy foods that are affordable. CONCLUSION: Although consumers believe that nutrition is one of the most important factors for maintaining health, there are still a number of attitudinal and perceived environmental barriers to healthy eating.

Pilot Evaluation of an In-Store Nutrition Label Education Program.

PURPOSE: To describe and provide recommendations for the implementation of an evaluation for an already existing, in-store Nutrition Label Education Program (NLEP). METHODS: We describe the development and implementation of an evaluation consisting of a pre- and postsurvey and one month follow-up. The evaluation was designed to assess satisfaction with the NLEP as well as changes in participant nutrition label knowledge, confidence in using nutrition labels, and actual changes in nutrition label use. RESULTS: Nineteen participants took part in the pilot evaluation. The evaluation was successful in demonstrating high levels of satisfaction with the NLEP as well as positive changes in participant confidence and some increased knowledge in using nutrition labels. However, only 3 people participated in the follow-up, limiting the ability to assess behaviour change. CONCLUSIONS: Ideally, NLEPs should include ongoing evaluation that extends beyond just assessing participant satisfaction. Recommendations are provided for conducting such evaluations, including the importance of incorporating the evaluation into the program itself, using existing questionnaires when possible, and employing pre- and postsurveys as well as follow-up interviews to assess change.

Development and evaluation of a web site to improve recovery from hysterectomy.

Following surgery, information received upon discharge for recovery at home varies depending on the hospital, and the information is typically given to the patient all at once rather than timed to the recovery process. To address these information challenges, a Web site to help women recovering at home after hysterectomy was developed and evaluated. The Web site was designed to guide the hysterectomy patient through her postsurgical recovery by providing timely and relevant information tailored to the patient's stage of recovery. The Web site required patients to complete a checkup assessing 18 symptoms related to their recovery, and advice was given on how to deal with any symptom the patient had. The Web site also provided care tips specific to the patient's day of recovery along with general information regarding hysterectomy and recovery. Thirty-one women participated in the evaluation, which consisted of preoperative and postoperative surveys as well as a telephone interview. Results indicated that patients frequently used and were highly satisfied with the Web site. Patients reported that the Web site was easy to use and informative, helped to guide their recovery, reduced worry and anxiety, and helped to inform decisions of when and how to contact health professionals. Based on the findings, the Web site represents a potentially cost-effective means to aid women recovering from hysterectomy.

Diet and anxiety. An exploration into the Orthorexic Society.

The modern food system has radically modified the social-anthropological framework that informs food choices. To explore factors that influence food choices within this modified framework, eight focus groups consisting of women 15-45 years old were conducted in Nova Scotia (Canada). Using a grounded theory approach, two main themes emerged centered around (1) perceptions of a changing culinary order that emphasizes individual dietary responsibility and decision making and (2) the confusion/anxiety experienced as participants try to assimilate the information generated by today's modern food system. Participants inextricably linked food and health to the point where it was the central organizing determinant guiding their food selection. They also felt the need to make informed dietary choices, but perceived their search for a healthy diet to be thwarted by the amount, type, and accuracy of information concerning the elements in today's food products. A constant search for accurate information and the instability of what participants consider expert advice contribute to feelings of anxiety around food choices and a sense of futility in their efforts to navigate through the information available. The focus group discussions reflected the emergence of an Orthorexic Society, whereby individuals are socialized to take charge of their own dietary health. They do so constrained by a food system that is increasingly complex, contradictory, and opaque and where commercial dietary regimes offer quick yet incomplete solutions.

Exploring the acceptability and feasibility of conducting a large longitudinal population-based study in Canada.

ABSTRACTSuccessful recruitment and retention for population-based longitudinal studies requires understanding facilitators and barriers to participation. This study explored Canadians' views regarding one such study, the proposed Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA). Focus groups of participants > or =40 years of age were held in six proposed CLSA data collection sites (Halifax, Montreal, Hamilton, Winnipeg, Calgary, and Vancouver) to discuss participating in a long-term study of healthy aging. There was fundamental support for longitudinal research on health and aging. Altruism was a key motivation to participation, and universities were viewed as credible parties to conduct such studies. Participants had few worries about providing biological samples but expressed concern about potential misuse of genetic materials, commercialization of participant data, and privacy issues. These findings have already informed current, and will inform future, work on the CLSA, and will also provide useful information to researchers who undertake other population-based longitudinal studies.