Changes in knowledge and food behaviour following a screening program held in a supermarket

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Nutrition Science
• Cardiovascular Disease Prevention

Background:

• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention strategies require understanding public knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors.
• Supermarket-based health screenings offer accessible platforms for public health interventions.
• The Health Belief Model provides a framework for examining health-related behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between knowledge, health beliefs, and dietary behaviors within a supermarket cardiovascular screening program.
• To assess the impact of a cardiovascular screening and counseling intervention on participants' nutrition knowledge and dietary habits.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 3,432 participants (aged 18-74) in 54 supermarkets across Montreal and Quebec.
• Cardiovascular risk factors (serum cholesterol, blood pressure, BMI, physical activity, smoking) were measured.
• A nutrition questionnaire assessed knowledge, beliefs, and high-fat food consumption in 70% of participants (n=2,420).

Main Results:

• Participants demonstrated increased nutrition knowledge following the screening program (p < 0.05).
• Frequency of high-fat food consumption decreased post-intervention (p < 0.05).
• These improvements were more pronounced in individuals with higher blood cholesterol, hypertension, and in women.

Conclusions:

• Supermarket-based cardiovascular screenings can effectively enhance nutrition knowledge and promote healthier dietary choices.
• Interventions should consider tailoring approaches for individuals with specific cardiovascular risk factors.
• Integrating health screenings into community settings like supermarkets is a viable public health strategy.