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Promoting Healthy Eating Attitudes Among Uninsured Primary Care Patients

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Abstract

Obesity is associated with a number of chronic health problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. While common prevention and treatment strategies to control unhealthy weight gain tend to target behaviors and lifestyles, the psychological factors which affect eating behaviors among underserved populations also need to be further addressed and included in practice implementations. The purpose of this study is to examine positive and negative emotional valence about food among underserved populations in a primary care setting. Uninsured primary care patients (N = 621) participated in a self-administered survey from September to December in 2015. Higher levels of perceived benefits of healthy food choice were associated with lower levels of a negative emotional valence about food while higher levels of perceived barriers to healthy food choice are related to higher levels of a negative emotional valence about food. Greater acceptance of motivation to eat was associated with higher levels of positive and negative emotional valence about food. Spanish speakers reported greater acceptance of motivation to eat and are more likely to have a negative emotional valence about food than US born or non-US born English speakers. The results of this study have important implications to promote healthy eating among underserved populations at a primary care setting. Healthy food choice or healthy eating may not always be achieved by increasing knowledge. Psychological interventions should be included to advance healthy food choice.

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Acknowledgments

This project was funded by the Community-Based Research Grant from the University of Utah. The authors want to thank the patients who participated in this study and acknowledge the contribution of the staff and volunteers of the Maliheh Free Clinic. In addition, we thank Nushean Assasnik, Jerry Bounsanga, Alla Chernenko, Kendall Crane, Travis Dixon, Sarah Hardman, Kindrick Hector, Shirley Luo, Ka’arunya Prasad, Danielle Searle, Mary Stoddard, Jessica Truong, Madison Walters and Xueyou Wang for their help in data collection, data entry or translation related to this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, University of Utah, 380 S 1530 E, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA

    Akiko Kamimura, Jennifer Tabler, Tamara Stephens & Guadalupe Aguilera

  2. School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Maziar M. Nourian

  3. Maliheh Free Clinic, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Allison Jess & Jeanie Ashby

  4. Department of Anthropology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Lindsey Wright

Authors
  1. Akiko Kamimura
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  2. Jennifer Tabler
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  3. Maziar M. Nourian
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  4. Allison Jess
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  5. Tamara Stephens
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  6. Guadalupe Aguilera
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  7. Lindsey Wright
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  8. Jeanie Ashby
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Akiko Kamimura.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Human Participants Protection

The University of Utah Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved this study.

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Kamimura, A., Tabler, J., Nourian, M.M. et al. Promoting Healthy Eating Attitudes Among Uninsured Primary Care Patients. J Community Health 41, 805–811 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-016-0157-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-016-0157-y

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