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Grant Details

Grant Number: 7R03CA136457-02 Interpret this number
Primary Investigator: Zoellner, Jamie
Organization: Virginia Polytechnic Inst And St Univ
Project Title: Exploring Nutrition Literacy in the Lower Mississippi Delta
Fiscal Year: 2009
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Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Nutrition literacy may be defined as "the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic nutrition information needed to make appropriate dietary decisions." The primary objective of this R03 cross-sectional study is to explore the relationship between capacities to process and understand nutrition information and diet quality, specifically adoption of the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2005 DG). The secondary objective is to describe the capacity to obtain nutrition information, including awareness of the 2005 DG, predominant patterns of media exposure, type and level of exposure to nutrition information, trusted sources of nutrition information, and barriers to seeking nutrition information. A proportional quota sample, based on educational achievement, of 400 participants residing in the rural Lower Mississippi Delta (Delta) counties of Arkansas and Louisiana will be surveyed. Survey instruments include the validated Newest Vital Sign (NVS), an adapted version of National Cancer Institutes' Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS), and a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). A moderated multiple regression analytic strategy will be used to determine main and interaction effects by regressing NVS scores, nutrition information seeking and scanning behavior (SSB), education level, income level, age, race, and gender on diet quality scores. Descriptive statistics including means, standard deviations, and frequencies will be used to summarize the capacity to obtain nutrition information. Research results will identify a relationship between nutrition literacy and diet quality, describe practices used to obtain nutrition information, and establish nutrition literacy baseline data. This research will help determine appropriate channels to communicate scientifically-based nutrition information that meets the nutrition literacy needs of Delta residents. Researchers and nutrition educators could utilize the results of this research to develop appropriate nutrition interventions and media strategies that would promote the adoption of healthy behaviors as defined by the Dietary Guidelines. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The impacts of nutrition recommendations, including the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, are greatly diminished without focused attention on understanding and improving nutrition literacy. We must strive to understand the relationship between nutrition literacy and dietary behaviors, and identify barriers to seeking nutrition information in order to create more effective communication strategies for disadvantaged Americans residing in the Lower Mississippi Delta.

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Publications

Qualitative application of the theory of planned behavior to understand beverage consumption behaviors among adults.
Authors: Zoellner J, Krzeski E, Harden S, Cook E, Allen K, Estabrooks PA
Source: J Acad Nutr Diet, 2012 Nov;112(11), p. 1774-84.
PMID: 23102176
Related Citations

Grant Numbers:
NCI NIH HHS - 1R03CA136457-01A2 NCI NIH HHS - R03 CA136457

MeSH Terms:
Beverages Attitude to Health Humans
Nutrition Policy Cross-Cultural Comparison Dietary Sucrose
Energy Intake Focus Groups Food Preferences
Adult Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Health Behavior
Health Status Disparities Food Habits Male
Female

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Exploring the theory of planned behavior to explain sugar-sweetened beverage consumption.
Authors: Zoellner J, Estabrooks PA, Davy BM, Chen YC, You W
Source: J Nutr Educ Behav, 2012 Mar-Apr;44(2), p. 172-7.
EPub date: 2011 Dec 8.
PMID: 22154130
Related Citations

Grant Numbers:
NCI NIH HHS - R03 CA136457-01A2

MeSH Terms:
Young Adult Regression Analysis Obesity
Questionnaires Beverages Virginia
Humans Dietary Sucrose Aged
Energy Intake Psychometrics Cross-Sectional Studies
Adult Health Behavior Middle Aged
Female Male

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Understanding the internal and external validity of health literacy interventions: a systematic literature review using the RE-AIM framework.
Authors: Allen K, Zoellner J, Motley M, Estabrooks PA
Source: J Health Commun, 2011;16 Suppl 3, p. 55-72.
PMID: 21951243
Related Citations

Grant Numbers:
NCI NIH HHS - 1R03CA136457-01A2

MeSH Terms:
Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic Educational Status Reproducibility of Results
Humans Program Evaluation Health Literacy
Health Promotion

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Health literacy is associated with healthy eating index scores and sugar-sweetened beverage intake: findings from the rural Lower Mississippi Delta.
Authors: Zoellner J, You W, Connell C, Smith-Ray RL, Allen K, Tucker KL, Davy BM, Estabrooks P
Source: J Am Diet Assoc, 2011 Jul;111(7), p. 1012-20.
PMID: 21703379
Related Citations

Grant Numbers:
NCI NIH HHS - R03 CA136457-01A2 NCI NIH HHS - 1R03CA136457-01A2

MeSH Terms:
Educational Status Beverages Sex Factors
Humans Mississippi Diet Surveys
Dietary Sucrose African Americans Income
Cross-Sectional Studies European Continental Ancestry Group Health Literacy
Louisiana Diet Male
Arkansas Female Food Services

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Last Updated: August 24, 2012
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