Sources and credibility of nutrition information among black urban South African women, with a focus on messages related to obesity

Abstract

Objectives: (1) To identify the major sources of nutrition information, and the perceived credibility thereof, among urban black South African women; and (2) to determine the level of knowledge regarding nutrition, particularly regarding the topic of obesity. Design: A cross-sectional descriptive study that was both qualitative (focus groups) and quantitative (individual questionnaires). Three hundred and ninety-four black women aged 17 -49 years were conveniently sampled from the Western Cape and Gauteng provinces in South Africa. Methods: Four focus groups were held with 39 women to identify common themes relating to nutrition knowledge. Based on these data, a questionnaire instrument was developed and administered to 394 women by trained fieldworkers. Results: The most frequently encountered source of nutrition information was the media, particularly the radio and TV (73.4% and 72.1% of subjects, respectively, obtained information from this source in the past year), followed by family/friends (64.6%). Despite only 48.5% of subjects having received nutrition information from a health professional, this was the most highly credible information source. Factors being most influential in choice of foods were taste, preferences of the rest of the family, and price. A lack of knowledge on certain aspects of nutrition was identified, as well as misconceptions regarding diet and obesity. Conclusion: To improve nutrition knowledge and the effectiveness of nutrition education activities in South Africa, it is recommended that health and nutrition educators become more actively involved with the training of health professionals, particularly those engaged in delivery of services at primary care level, and in turn encourage health professionals to engage more with media sources. Nutrition messages delivered from health professionals via the media will enable public exposure to nutrition information which is not only easily accessible but also perceived to be highly credible.

Drivers of dietary behaviours in women living in urban Africa: a systematic mapping review

“…Seven were from lower-middle-income countries; four from Morocco (28,(30)(31)(32)38) , two were Kenyan (33,44) and one Ghanaian (34) . Three studies were situated in South Africa; an upper-middle-income country (29,(35)(36)(37)43) .…”

“…Nine studies (29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36)(37)(39)(40)(41)(42)44) reported the effects of individualor household-level determinants (online supplementary material, Supplemental Table 3). …”

“…Macro-level determinants Six studies examined macro-level determinants of dietary behaviour (29,34,(38)(39)(40)43,44) (online supplementary material, Supplemental Table 6). Two studies investigated cultural beliefs; one of which found that women stating that cultural beliefs affected their food intake were three times more likely to report an 'inadequate' food intake (OR = 3·07, 95 % CI 1·18, 7·99) (44) .…”

Adult consumers’ understanding and use of information on food labels: a study among consumers living in the Potchefstroom and Klerksdorp regions, South Africa

“…Furthermore, many South Africans do not know how to choose the right type and quantities of food to satisfy their nutritional requirements (3) . Therefore, there is a need to help South African consumers make better food choices during food purchasing.The food label forms an integral part of the consumers' decision-making processes, as it provides nutritional information that could assist them in making healthy food choices (2,4) . Prior exposure to food labels also limits consumers' information searching and consequently saves them time during food purchase (5) .…”

The barriers that women face when choosing food for their primary school children: A case study in the Western Cape Province, South Africa

“…Furthermore, the study found that the media was a powerful medium to convey scientifically accurate information to the lay public and should be better utilised. [22] The cost of food was identified as the strongest determining factor influencing food choices, regardless of the school quintile. The effect of food cost on food choices and healthy eating cannot be underestimated; it calls for drastic measures to be implemented by the SA government and the food industry to curb the increasing cost of healthy food.…”