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Author(s): Andreia Ferreira Moura [sup.1] [sup.2] , Jessica Aschemann-Witzel [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.4563.4, 0000 0004 1936 8868, Department of Food, Nutrition and Dietetics. School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, [...], Objectives This study aims to propose and evaluate a theory-driven questionnaire addressing barriers to healthy eating among mothers of young children. Methods Statements drawing upon the Social Cognitive Theory were developed/gathered based on literature review and previous qualitative research. Part I (43 items) included general barriers, attitudes to nutrition advice and outcome expectations. Part II (9 items) included subjective knowledge and general self-efficacy scales. An online survey was undertaken with 267 Danish women. The validation process included content and face validity, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and reliability analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) tested possible associations between the constructs and potential health outcomes (BMI and healthiness of eating habits). Results The EFA supported an adequate factorial validity with a 5-factor, 37-item structure model for Part I, and a high internal reliability of Parts I and II (Cronbach's alpha > 0.7). The CFA revealed an association between certain constructs and perceived healthiness of eating and BMI. Results support the reliability and factorial validity of the social cognitive measures assessing barriers to healthy eating among mothers. Conclusions for Practice These promising findings of reliability and initial validity suggest that researchers and practitioners interested in identifying women who face difficulties in the family food environment may find the scales useful. We propose a short version of the questionnaire for health practitioners.

Communication campaigns are expected to contribute to increase the efficacy of nutritional warnings. In this context, the aims of the present work were (a) to evaluate how citizens perceive different types of messages for a communication campaign and (b) to determine if personal characteristics such as gender, age, and educational level, as well socioeconomic and nutritional status, moderate how citizens perceive such campaign messages. A series of graphic pieces were designed for each of the following three types of messages: promotion of informed food choices; raising awareness of the negative health consequences of excessive consumption of sugar, fat, and sodium; and promotion of healthy food choices. An online study was conducted with 774 participants, who were randomly assigned to one of the three types of messages. The participants' self-reported perception of the graphic pieces was evaluated using 7-point Likert-type scales. After completing the evaluation task, the participants proceeded to a series of choices. This was implemented to evaluate whether exposure to different types of messages affected hypothetical food choices. Results revealed that messages related to the promotion of healthy eating were perceived as the most adequate as part of a communication campaign and had the potential to encourage more healthful hypothetical choices in the experimental task. However, gender, age, and nutritional status moderated the influence of the type of message on the participants' perception, meaning that different groups perceived different types of messages as the most adequate. The results from the present work stress the need to include different types of messages in a communication campaign to target individuals with different motivations and characteristics.

Nutritional warnings are intended to enable citizens to make informed choice by clearly identifying food products with excessive content of nutrients associated with noncommunicable diseases. The efficacy of this public policy is expected to improve if accompanied by communication campaigns that raise awareness of the existence of nutritional warnings, as well as encourage citizens to take them into account in decision making. Because ordinary citizens have been shown to generate significantly more creative and valuable ideas than advanced users and professional developers, the aim of the present work was to obtain qualitative, citizen co-created insights for the design of a communication campaign. An online study was conducted with 518 Uruguayan citizens, recruited using a Facebook advertisement. Participants were asked to answer a series of open-ended questions about how they would encourage other people to use the warnings for making their food choices, as well as the key contents of a communication campaign. Responses were analyzed using content analysis. Results showed that, according to the participants' accounts, an effective public awareness campaign aimed at promoting the use of nutritional warnings in decision making should include three main concepts: (a) position warnings as a cue to action for improving eating habits by enabling informed choices; (b) emphasize the benefits of using the warnings for avoiding consumption of unhealthy food and, consequently, achieving a healthier diet and an improvement in health status and quality of life; and (c) increase the perceived susceptibility and severity of the negative consequences of consumption of foods with excessive content of sugar, fat, and sodium. A communication campaign based on these key concepts could contribute to increasing the efficacy of nutritional warnings.

Introduction: This study investigates how Europeans seek information related to healthy eating, what determines their information seeking and whether any problems are encountered in doing so. Method: A survey was administered through computer-assisted on-line web-interviewing. Respondents were grouped by age and sex (n = 3003, age +16) in Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Poland, and the UK. Analysis: Descriptive statistics and regression analysis were used to analyse the influence of social, demographic, psychological and economic characteristics on the information seeking of the respondents. Results: Nearly half of those surveyed do not know where to look for information on healthy diets. Men, less well educated, poorer and sicker person know less about where to look for such information and are less likely to attempt finding it. Most of the respondents searching for information on the Internet use Google as a search tool. Conclusions: Individual and environmental factors affect information behaviour and should be taken into account in public campaigns aimed at changing eating habits of the population to increase their effectiveness. More emphasis should be placed on raising health information literacy of the information-poor, men, the uneducated, and the economically disadvantaged.

An in-depth understanding of the citizen's perception and behavior is needed for the development of targeted public policies and interventions that can successfully encourage people to shift their dietary patterns and contribute to the prevention of non-communicable diseases. The present work aimed to identify barriers and facilitators for the adoption of the new Uruguayan dietary guidelines from a citizen perspective. Twelve semistructured focus groups were conducted with a total of 91 people (81% female, age 18-64 years) from 3 Uruguayan cities. Findings identified several multifaceted barriers, including lack of value given to food, meals and cooking, taste preferences for unhealthy foods, the unsupportive social context in terms of household preferences, customs and social norms, and lack of control of the situation through insufficient food capabilities, time scarcity, and an adverse food market environment. The potential facilitators discussed in the focus groups were mainly related to policies and regulations to discourage consumption of unhealthful products and the provision of more education and information. In addition, respondents acknowledged the need for own actions in terms of seeking greater cooking skills and enjoyment, incorporating changes in their daily routines and promoting a more supportive social environment. Results suggest that supportive actions are needed to support citizen's adoption of the new Uruguayan dietary guidelines.