Effect of The Knowledge, Attitude and Demographic Varialbes on Iron and Calcium Intake Among U.S. Women

Abstract

LEARNING OUTCOME: To describe the influence of knowledge, attitudes, and demographics on iron and calcim intake. Calcium and iron are very important for women due to the hormonal changes of menstruation, pregnancy, lactation and menopause. In this study we examined the influence of knowledge, attitudes, and demographics on iron and calcium intake. Data were obtained from the 1990 - 91 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals(CSFII) and Diet and Health Knowledge Survey (DHKS), a nationally representative study conducted by USDA. Data from 2009 women who completed 3 day diet records and DHKS were analyzed using correlation and ANOVA. Calcium and iron intake were found to be significantly positively correlated with income and education. A significant negative correlation was found between age and calcium intake, but age was not significantly correlated with iron intake. Knowledge of number of servings was significantly positively correlated with calcium intake but there was no relationship between knowledge and iron intake. Women who said that nutrition was not at all important while grocery shopping had significantly lower calcium intake than women who said it was important. Our findings suggest that women's knowledge, attitude and demographic characteristics may influence the consumption of these vital minerals. Therefore, an effort should be made to consider these attributes when designing effective education materials for women.