Journal of Public Health Advance Access originally published online on June 29, 2006
Journal of Public Health 2007 29(1):9-12; doi:10.1093/pubmed/fdl024
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Predictors of interest in nutrition topics and willingness to participate in local nutrition programmes
Katrin Engelhardt, Visiting Research Fellow1
Byung Chul Ahn, Associate Professor2
Sung-Il Cho, Assistant Professor1
Hyojee Joung, Associate Professor1
1 Graduate School of Public Health and Institute of Health and Environment, Seoul National University, 28, Yungun-Dong, Chongro-Gu, Seoul 110799, Republic of Korea
2 School of Economics and Finance, Yeungnam University, 2141 Dae-dong, Kyungsan-si, Kyungbuk 712749, Korea
Address correspondence to Hyojee Joung, E-mail: hjjoung{at}snu.ac.kr
Objective To investigate the predictors of interest in nutrition topics and willingness to participate in weight management courses and nutrition-related chronic disease management courses.
Methods Data from a cross-sectional survey (n = 1007 Koreans aged
30) on nutrition-related conditions, nutrition behaviours, interest in nutrition topics and willingness to participate in two types of nutrition education courses, and general characteristics. Binary logistic regression was used to identify predictors of the participants interest in the topic and willingness to participate.
Results Younger, richer and more-educated participants were significantly more likely to be willing to participate in nutrition-related chronic disease management. Having a higher income and being male increased the odds of being interested in this topic. Younger, more obese, high-income females and those interested to keep their weight and reduce fatty foods were more likely to be willing to participate in weight management.
Conclusion There is a need to increase awareness about the link between nutrition and related health problems, especially regarding hidden health problems to tailor the programmes especially for older, low-income and less-educated people and to focus on increasing their interest in nutrition topics.
Keywords: interest, Korea, nutrition education, predictors, willingness