Factors that Motivated Individuals who Successfully Made Dietary Changes

TY - JOUR

T1 - Factors that Motivated Individuals who Successfully Made Dietary Changes

AU - Greenspan, Natalie

AU - Palmer Keenan, Debra

AU - Achterberg, Cheryl

PY - 1995/9

Y1 - 1995/9

N2 - Individuals attempting to make dietary changes often succeed only after numerous failed attempts. Understanding why certain attempts are successful may increase the ability of nutrition educators to plan effective programs. The Patterns of Dietary Change Study, an exploratory investigation, was conducted with 145 individuals who had decreased their dietary fat by at least five percent of their total energy intake for five or more years. 64.8% of these participants had made at least one failed attempt prior to successfully altering their dietary patterns. When asked: "What made this time different?" responses indicated internal rationales (directed from within), external rationales (affected by something) and procedural differences (used a different approach). The most common responses were: weight gain (12.8%), group support (10.6%), change in family structure (9.6%), increased knowledge/awareness (8.5%) and age related realizations (8.5%). All 145 participants were asked "were there any specific events or people who motivated you to start changing when you did?" Weight (46.9%), increased education (31%) and the desire to feel better/be healthy (43%) were the common answers. Insights into factors that motivate dietary change provide nutrition educators with ideas and opportunities that may increase intervention success.

AB - Individuals attempting to make dietary changes often succeed only after numerous failed attempts. Understanding why certain attempts are successful may increase the ability of nutrition educators to plan effective programs. The Patterns of Dietary Change Study, an exploratory investigation, was conducted with 145 individuals who had decreased their dietary fat by at least five percent of their total energy intake for five or more years. 64.8% of these participants had made at least one failed attempt prior to successfully altering their dietary patterns. When asked: "What made this time different?" responses indicated internal rationales (directed from within), external rationales (affected by something) and procedural differences (used a different approach). The most common responses were: weight gain (12.8%), group support (10.6%), change in family structure (9.6%), increased knowledge/awareness (8.5%) and age related realizations (8.5%). All 145 participants were asked "were there any specific events or people who motivated you to start changing when you did?" Weight (46.9%), increased education (31%) and the desire to feel better/be healthy (43%) were the common answers. Insights into factors that motivate dietary change provide nutrition educators with ideas and opportunities that may increase intervention success.

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U2 - 10.1016/S0002-8223(95)00603-6

DO - 10.1016/S0002-8223(95)00603-6

M3 - Article

SN - 0002-8223

VL - 95

SP - A72

JO - Journal of the American Dietetic Association

JF - Journal of the American Dietetic Association

IS - 9 SUPPL.

ER -