INFORMATIONAL EFFECTS OF NUTRIENT INTAKE DETERMINANTS ON CHOLESTEROL CONSUMPTION

Nutrition information and dietary data for a sample of U.S. household meal planners are used to estimate the direct and indirect effects of various dietary determinants on cholesterol intake. Holding sociodemog raphic and household characteristics constant, greater nutrition infor mation translates to significantly lower intake of dietary cholesterol . Evidence supports the hypothesis that schooling promotes better heal th behavior through greater acquisition and use of health information. Blacks and Hispanics stand to benefit from nutrition education progra ms to increase their awareness of diet-health relationships. A low-cal orie diet decreases the intake of cholesterol more than a low-fat diet .