UNDERSTANDING FOOD CHOICE IN ADULT MEN - INFLUENCE OF NUTRITION KNOWLEDGE, FOOD BELIEFS AND DIETARY RESTRAINT

Previous studies investigating the influence of nutrition knowledge an d attitudes and beliefs on food choice of consumers have not measured restrained eating. The present study examined the effects of restraine d eating, nutrition knowledge, beliefs about selected foods and demogr aphic variables on self-reported food choice using a convenience sampl e of 137 adult males from the local community. The foods were grouped into general categories and the results were analysed using logistic r egression. Logistic regression tested the hypothesis that the explanat ory variables influenced the decision to consume the various food grou ps. Results showed that dietary restraint was a consistent predictor o f food choice in this population. Restraint score influenced the repor ted consumption of all food groups except desserts. Subjects with high restraint scores were less likely to consume whole-fat dairy foods an d eggs, beef and cured meats, fast foods, fats and oils and regular so da than those with low restraint scores. Those high in restraint were also more likely to consume 'healthy' foods. Other factors, such as li ving in an urban area, income, age and education, influenced the consu mption of several of the food groups, bur their impact on the regressi on models was less consistent than was the impact of restraint. In con trast to previous research, nutrition knowledge and food beliefs playe d only modest roles in the reported food choices of the subjects. (C) 1997 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.