Use Of Low-fat Milk Research Articles

Research to Understand Milk Consumption Behaviors in a Food-Insecure Low-Income SNAP Population in the US

Milk, due to its affordability and nutritional value, can fortify the diets of families that experience food insecurity or find a high-quality diet cost-prohibitive. However, it can also be a leading source of excess calories and saturated fat. Yet, little is known about what influences consumer behavior of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients toward the type of milk used or the prevalence of low-fat milk use among this population. This cross-sectional telephone survey of SNAP recipients (n = 520) documented that 7.5% of this population usually consumes low-fat milk, a prevalence that lags behind national figures (34.4%) for the same time-period. There was a weak association between sociodemographic characteristics of SNAP recipients and low-fat milk use. Instead, less low-fat milk consumption was associated with a knowledge gap and misperceptions of the nutritional properties of the different types of milk. Promoting low-fat milk use by correcting these misperceptions can improve the diet of America’s low-income population and reduce food insecurity by maximizing the nutritional value of the foods consumed.

A Social Marketing Approach to 1% Milk Use: Resonance Is the Key.

The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend low-fat milk consumption, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) programs follow these guidelines to develop health education programs for SNAP recipients. This study evaluated a multilevel media intervention promoting low-fat milk use among Oklahoma SNAP recipients, a population often missed. Behavior change was measured with pre- and postintervention telephone interviews with SNAP recipients ( n = 860). Immediately following the intervention, self-reported purchases of 1% milk, the focus of behavior change, significantly increased to 7.9% from 4.1%-a relative improvement of 92.7%, χ2(1, n = 824) = 5.8, p = .02. Milk nutrition knowledge scores significantly improved as well, t(846) = 2.9, p = .004, and low-fat milk users exhibited more milk nutrition knowledge than high-fat milk users, t(437) = 4.0, p = .000. The intervention, which resonated with the priority audience, was well received ( Mdn = 6, 1, 7). Factors contributing to its success included a gain-based message strategy and clearly articulating the desired behavior. Salient messages personalized the issues and concerns raised by the priority audience-all the vitamins and minerals without the fat. Findings suggest that matching gender and ethnicity mediated the effect among those most resistant to substituting low-fat for high-fat milk.

Formative Research to Understand the Psychographics of 1% Milk Consumption in a Low-Income Audience

A clear understanding of the knowledge, perceptions, beliefs, attitudes, and values of those whose behavior we hope to change is an essential task in a social marketing project. This formative research used mixed methods to identify consumer psychographics about high-fat milk among a low-income priority audience. High-fat milk users believe they choose the type of milk that is the healthiest for them and their families but had poor milk nutrition knowledge and an inaccurate appraisal of low-fat milk. Habit and taste preferences reinforced high-fat milk use but 2% milk users, a group that already adapted to reduced-fat milk, were the audience segment most willing to consider low-fat milk use. Low-fat milk use can be promoted by raising awareness that 2% milk is not low fat and addressing knowledge deficiencies while assuring the priority audience that 1% milk has all of the vitamins and minerals of whole or 2% milk but with less fat. The resonance of the promotion can be enhanced by incorporating words that “work” such as vitamins, minerals, healthy, choice, habit, and avoiding the words “switch” and “skim” that were viewed negatively by this low-income audience.

The Finnmark Intervention Study: is it possible to change CVD risk factors by community-based intervention in an Arctic village in crisis?

Owing to high cardiovascular mortality, the Norwegian Government introduced the programme "Health and Inequalities in Finnmark" in 1988. One of the projects in this programme was aimed at changing cardiovascular risk factors through community-based intervention in a fishing community in the Norwegian Arctic. The intervention community Båtsfjord and the three control communities were selected from the same coastal area. The intervention was based on a quasi-experimental design, and evaluated by population surveys before (1987) and after (1993) the invention. The attending cohort was analysed. The intervention method was based on empowerment and cooperation between different organizations, and the primary healthcare system. From 1987 - 93, the male cohort in Båtsfjord had a more favourable development when compared with changes in the control communities regarding the 8.6% increase in physical activity (p = 0.047), the reduction in systolic blood pressure by 0.01 mmHg (p = 0.002), and the reduction in diastolic blood pressure by 2.1 mmHg (p < 0.001). The female cohort in Båtsfjord had a more favourable development when compared with changes in the control communities regarding the 11.2% increase in use of low-fat milk (p = 0.046), the increase in systolic blood pressure by 2.1 mmHg (p = 0.024), and the reduction in diastolic blood pressure by 2.1 mmHg (p < 0.001). Despite a difficult economic situation for the Arctic coastal communities, the study found it possible for voluntary organizations, local public administration, and local health personnel to promote change in lifestyle and blood pressure using a community intervention approach.

Predictors of Dietary Milk Fat Intake by Preschool Children

Background. High-fat whole milk is the major dietary source of total and saturated fat for young children. Children from low-income families have higher total and saturated fat intakes and their parents have higher rates of cardiovascular disease compared with children from higher income families. We identified factors that predict the use of either high-fat whole milk or low-fat (1% and/or skim) milk by children to facilitate the development of targeted intervention strategies to reduce their dietary fat intakes.Methods. Adults (91% mothers) with children ≥1 through <5 years of age, participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) at 50 agencies throughout New York State, completed questionnaires.Results. Most (75%) of the 1,938 children drank whole milk, while only 6.9% consumed exclusively 1% and/or skim milk. The children tended to drink the same type of milk as other family members. In multivariate logistic regression, use of whole milk was associated with younger child age, black race or Hispanic ethnicity, parent/guardian belief that whole milk was healthier for children over 2, and parent/guardian having never tried reduced-fat milks (all P < 0.0001). In contrast, use of 1% and/or skim milk was associated with older child age, female gender, nonblack race, older parent/guardian age, parent/guardian belief that reduced-fat milks were healthier for children over 2, and parent/guardian having tried 1%-fat milk (all P < 0.01).Conclusions. Individualized family-based strategies are needed to target specific behaviors and/or health beliefs held by different parent groups. For example, taste testing might be an effective strategy for parents who have never tasted reduced-fat milk. Interventions to overcome cultural barriers to the use of low-fat milk may require changing parental health beliefs, in addition to providing education about the health benefits of low-fat milk.

Use of low-fat milk by children in the New York State WIC varies with parental characteristics

Use of low-fat milk by children in the New York State WIC varies with parental characteristics

Smoking and unhealthy food habits. How stable is the association?

The aim of this study was to compare the food habits of male and female current smokers, ex-smokers and never-smokers in 1980–1995. Do differences between smoking categories vary by study period or sociodemographic factors? The data were collected by mailed questionnaires in connection with a nationwide programme, ‘Monitoring Health Behaviour among the Finnish Adult Population’. In this study, data from the years 1980–1981, 1987–1988 and 1994–1995 were used (n= 5, 773–7, 249, response rate 72–80%). Two examples of healthy food choices were included: avoidance of milk fat and daily use of vegetables. Cross-tabulation and logistic regression analysis were used to examine the effects of smoking, the time period and sociodemographic factors on food habits. Male and female smokers used vegetables and low-fat milk least often. Ex-smokers alone or together with never-smokers most often avoided milk fat and used vegetables. Among men the differences between ex-smokers and current smokers increased. Among women the differences in the use of low-fat milk remained stable; in the use of vegetables, they first increased, then decreased. The differences in food habits between the smoking categories diminished when educational level was taken into account. After adjusting for place of residence and marital status, the association between smoking and diet persisted. Smokers tended to make unhealthy food choices, but the association varied by time period and gender. Between 1980 and 1995, Finnish male smokers seem to have become more consistent in their unhealthy behaviour, while a corresponding trend was not observed among women.

Trends in CHD in the United States

Coronary heart disease (CHD) death rates increased in the United States until the mid 1960s then declined. Declines were greater for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), for younger age groups, for the white population, and for higher socioeconomic groups. Trends in incidence are uncertain but in-hospital fatality rates have decreased. There have been major advances in diagnosis, prevention and treatment of CHD, and numbers of internists and cardiologists, emergency medical services, and coronary care units have increased. New potent medical and surgical treatments for acute and chronic CHD have been introduced. Reductions in risk factors include decreases in cigarette smoking especially among men, falls in mean systolic blood pressure, rises in the proportion of hypertensive adults who are treated and controlled, and reductions in plasma cholesterol. Consumption of whole milk, butter, and eggs decreased whereas use of low fat milk, cooking oils, poultry, fish, vegetables, and fruits increased. However, the prevalence of obesity has increased. CHD is still the leading cause of death, and its prevalence is expected to rise as the population increases at older ages and treatment prolongs survival of patients with CHD.

Feeding low-fat milk during infancy.

Despite the widespread agreement that low-fat milk should not be used during infancy, there is a sizable portion of infants in the United States who were fed a diet that included low-fat milk (less than or equal to 2% fat). In 1985, 14% of infants 8 months old, 20% of infants 10 months old, and 32% of infants 12 months old were fed low-fat milk. The reasons given most often by mothers for low-fat milk use was their consideration that low-fat milk has less fat than whole cow's milk and that low-fat milk use was recommended/suggested by their physician. Nutrient intakes of infants fed low-fat milk are compared to those of infants fed whole cow's milk and infant formula. Except for fat, nutrient intakes of infants fed low-fat milk or whole cow's milk were similar. A majority of infants fed either low-fat milk or whole cow's milk received amounts of sodium, potassium, and chloride that exceeded the recommended safe and adequate ranges and amounts of iron below the RDA. These data are considered in relation to dietary requirements during infancy.

The Tromsø Heart Study: food habits, serum total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides.

Associations between food habits and total serum cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and serum triglycerides were examined in 7,410 men and 7,257 women in Tromsø, Norway, following a screening in 1979-1980. High body mass index was associated with high serum cholesterol, high triglycerides, and low HDL cholesterol. Positive associations were observed between high serum cholesterol and high coffee consumption, use of butter or hard margarine, not selecting low-fat milk, and low bread consumption. The HDL cholesterol level was virtually independent of the dietary items recorded. Use of low-fat milk and frequent use of fish dishes for dinner seemed to be related to low serum triglyceride levels.

The Tromsø Heart Study: is coffee drinking an indicator of a life style with high risk for ischemic heart disease?

Associations between coffee drinking, use of table fat with low contents of polyunsaturated fatty acids, preference for low-fat milk, use of fruits and vegetables, smoking and lack of physical activity in leisure time have been described in a cross-sectional study of 14,582 men and women. Coffee drinking was negatively related to the use of low-fat milk, use of table fat high in polyunsaturated fatty acids, use of fruits and vegetables, and positively associated with bread consumption. Three persons out of four with high coffee consumption (greater than 8 cups/day) were daily smokers, in contrast to about a quarter of those with low coffee consumption (less than 1 cup/day). In women and young men, high coffee consumption was associated with low physical activity at leisure. The results suggest that high coffee consumption may be an indicator of a life style with high risk for coronary heart disease.

The Tromsø heart study: The relationship between food habits and the body mass index

Associations between food habits and body mass index (BMI) (kg/m 2) were explored in a cross-sectional study with 7410 men and 7257 women. High BMI was most strongly associated with low bread consumption and use of low-fat milk. Weaker positive associations were seen for coffee, fish and ground meat consumption, and with use of table fat with a low P/S-ratio. Negative associations were seen for use of fruits and vegetables and amount of table fat at each slice of bread. Inconsistent relationships were noted for use of alcohol. The results suggest that individuals to some extent have changed their food habits in order to keep the BMI within limits they consider to be normal, and underline the need for adjustment for BMI when e.g. relationships between the diet and blood lipids are studied.