Consumers' understanding of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans: insights into the future

The purpose of this study was to examine consumers' knowledge and understanding of the 1995 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the sources from where consumers obtain their health information. A telephone survey was administered to 400 adults in the Twin Cities area in Minnesota. The number of guideline recommendations recalled per person was, on average, less than 2.5 of a total of 13 recommendations. Participants had difficulties interpreting the guidelines. Knowledge of the dietary fat guideline was especially poor. Only 17% of survey participants correctly stated the amount of total fat they should have in their diet. The total number of media sources used to obtain health information was the variable that best explained the variance in knowledge of the Dietary Guidelines recommendations. To effectively change dietary behavior, health educators must work effectively with the media to develop behavior-focused nutrition messages that are meaningful and clear to consumers.