Public beliefs about the amount of fiber in foods.

Despite the current interest in fiber in foods and dietary recommendations to increase fiber consumption, relatively little attention has been paid to public beliefs about fiber in foods. We used a mail questionnaire in a sample of 478 adults to assess public beliefs about the amount of fiber in 40 different foods and compared these beliefs with laboratory data about fiber content. Almost all respondents had heard of both fiber and roughage, and many (40%) believed that fiber and roughage were different concepts. Most respondents rated the amount of fiber in the 40 foods similarly to actual fiber content. Few differences in beliefs about fiber in foods existed among demographic groups. Factor analysis of the ratings of the 40 foods revealed three underlying dimensions: 1) fruits and vegetables, 2) animal products, including meat and dairy foods, and 3) grains, including breads and cereals. These findings reveal that some people believe that fiber differs from roughage, but their beliefs about the amount of fiber in foods matches fairly well with scientific data about fiber content. Nutritionists may benefit from assessing beliefs about concepts such as fiber and roughage before attempting to change food consumption behaviors.