Emily Grenen1,2, Erin E Kent2, Erin Hennessy3, Jada G Hamilton4, Rebecca A Ferrer2. 1. 1 ICF, Rockville, MD, USA. 2. 2 National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA. 3. 3 Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Boston, MA, USA. 4. 4 Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: There is little research on how affective reactions (e.g., stress) to perceptions of nutritious food accessibility contribute to dietary behaviors. AIMS: This study explores whether stress associated with limited access to nutritious foods-termed nutrition resource stress (NRS)-contributes to diet outcomes, and whether these associations are mediated by health-related self-efficacy. METHOD: Using data from the cross-sectional National Cancer Institute's Health Information National Trends Survey, analyses were conducted to examine whether reported NRS was associated with specific dietary behaviors (i.e., fewer servings of fruit/vegetables; more servings of sugar-sweetened soda; N = 3,112). RESULTS: Analyses revealed a main association such that NRS was negatively associated with fruit/vegetable consumption (β = -0.08, p = .016). There was a negative association between NRS and self-efficacy (β = -0.11, p < .001). There was no significant association between NRS and soda consumption. Mediation analyses revealed a significant indirect association between NRS and fruit/vegetable consumption, mediated by perceived health-related self-efficacy (β = -0.03, 95% confidence interval [-.04, -.01], p < .0001). Given that self-efficacy (the mediator) was not significantly associated with soda consumption (β = 0.01, p = .912), mediation analyses were not conducted for this outcome. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that stress associated with perceptions of inability to access nutritious foods may influence dietary behaviors, and points to a psychological mechanism (i.e., self-efficacy) that may explain the association. In addition to improving objective barriers of access to healthy foods, future interventions might address ways of improving nutritious food-related self-efficacy or perceived stress related to obtaining healthy foods.
BACKGROUND: There is little research on how affective reactions (e.g., stress) to perceptions of nutritious food accessibility contribute to dietary behaviors. AIMS: This study explores whether stress associated with limited access to nutritious foods-termed nutrition resource stress (NRS)-contributes to diet outcomes, and whether these associations are mediated by health-related self-efficacy. METHOD: Using data from the cross-sectional National Cancer Institute's Health Information National Trends Survey, analyses were conducted to examine whether reported NRS was associated with specific dietary behaviors (i.e., fewer servings of fruit/vegetables; more servings of sugar-sweetened soda; N = 3,112). RESULTS: Analyses revealed a main association such that NRS was negatively associated with fruit/vegetable consumption (β = -0.08, p = .016). There was a negative association between NRS and self-efficacy (β = -0.11, p < .001). There was no significant association between NRS and soda consumption. Mediation analyses revealed a significant indirect association between NRS and fruit/vegetable consumption, mediated by perceived health-related self-efficacy (β = -0.03, 95% confidence interval [-.04, -.01], p < .0001). Given that self-efficacy (the mediator) was not significantly associated with soda consumption (β = 0.01, p = .912), mediation analyses were not conducted for this outcome. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that stress associated with perceptions of inability to access nutritious foods may influence dietary behaviors, and points to a psychological mechanism (i.e., self-efficacy) that may explain the association. In addition to improving objective barriers of access to healthy foods, future interventions might address ways of improving nutritious food-related self-efficacy or perceived stress related to obtaining healthy foods.
Authors: EunEeok Cha; Kevin H Kim; Hannah M Lerner; Colleen R Dawkins; Morenike K Bello; Guillermo Umpierrez; Sandra B Dunbar Journal: Am J Health Behav Date: 2014-05
Authors: Paschal Sheeran; Alexander Maki; Erika Montanaro; Aya Avishai-Yitshak; Angela Bryan; William M P Klein; Eleanor Miles; Alexander J Rothman Journal: Health Psychol Date: 2016-06-09 Impact factor: 4.267
Authors: Jane McCusker; Sylvie D Lambert; Martin G Cole; Antonio Ciampi; Erin Strumpf; Ellen E Freeman; Eric Belzile Journal: Health Educ Behav Date: 2016-05-13