Abstract
The objective of this study was to assess trans fat knowledge in a group of health-conscious adults to make recommendations regarding nutrition education needs, so that the Food and Drug Administration's trans fat labeling rule can have the greatest benefit possible. A survey based on existing nutrition knowledge assessment tools was developed for the study and approved by the Simmons College Institutional Review Board. The survey included questions regarding demographics, trans and saturated fat knowledge, and nutrition behaviors and attitudes. The participants were men and women, aged 18 to 65, visiting a Boston fitness center. The subjects were mostly white, non-Hispanic, and of high socioeconomic status. A total of 320 subject's surveys were used for data analysis. SPSS for Windows (Version 10.1, 2000) was used to analyze the data. Analysis of variance was used to identify differences in nutrition knowledge between groups. Trans fat knowledge scores were significantly related to education level (P < .05); participants with bachelor's or higher degrees had higher trans fat scores than those without degrees. Participants who use the Nutrition Facts label also had significantly higher trans (P < .02) and saturated fat (P < .01) scores than those who do not. The results of this study suggest that even educated health-conscious adults do not know what they need to about trans fat in making an informed food choice. Since more education is associated with higher trans fat knowledge scores and nutrition label use, trans fat education will likely encourage the use of the revised Nutrition Facts label and therefore lead to healthier food choices.