Nowak, Madeleine, Harrison, Simone L., and Büttner, Petra G. (2004) General nutrition related knowledge and beliefs of post-partum women. Nutrition and Dietetics , 61 (2). pp. 82-87.

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Abstract

Objective: to examine the general food and nutrition-related beliefs and knowledge of post-partum women in Brisbane and Canberra.

Design: cross-sectional survey using self-administered mail or email delivered questionnaire.

Subjects: one hundred and sixty-eight post-partum women, who gave birth to a live infant in Brisbane or Canberra.

Setting: Subjects were drawn from three maternity hospitals in Canberra and one in Brisbane and were inter-viewed during a seven-day sampling period at each hospital.

Main outcome measures: outcome measures were: beliefs, opinions and intentions relating to food, nutrition and weight; knowledge of requirements of core foods; and sources of nutrition information.

Statistical analysis: standard statistical tests were used to assess bivariate relationships and multivariate analyses were performed using multiple logistic regression.

Results: almost all the women (97%) were confident they could feed their families a healthy diet but their knowledge of core food requirements was inadequate with only 1.9% correctly answering four food intake questions, 10.5% correctly answering three food intake questions, 67.3% correctly answering two food intake questions and 20.4% correctly answering one food intake question. The major sources of nutrition information cited by these women were: reading (44.0%), education (36.9%), family (22.0%, particularly mothers), the media (13.1%), weight loss diets and organisations (4.8%) and health professionals (4.2%).

Conclusions: There is a need to provide pregnant and post-partum women with information about core foods requirements for health, so that they can better guide their families to healthful eating habits. Further research should explore ways in which this can be achieved.

Item ID:	8451
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	1446-6368
Keywords:	beliefs; food; knowledge; nutrition; post-partum women
Date Deposited:	21 Feb 2010 23:19
FoR Codes:	11 MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES > 1111 Nutrition and Dietetics > 111199 Nutrition and Dietetics not elsewhere classified @ 50% 11 MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES > 1117 Public Health and Health Services > 111799 Public Health and Health Services not elsewhere classified @ 50%
SEO Codes:	92 HEALTH > 9204 Public Health (excl. Specific Population Health) > 920401 Behaviour and Health @ 30% 92 HEALTH > 9204 Public Health (excl. Specific Population Health) > 920411 Nutrition @ 40% 92 HEALTH > 9204 Public Health (excl. Specific Population Health) > 920412 Preventive Medicine @ 30%
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