The aim of this study was to assess knowledge, attitude and practice of urban and rural households toward principles of nutrition in Iran. In our study, the most of respondents were woman. This result showed that mothers play important role in nutrition of family. As a result, mothers’ nutrition knowledge is key influence on quality of households’ diets.
According to the results of this study, the knowledge level of urban and rural households was acceptable about recognition of food groups. The results showed that the most of the households were knowledgeable about the role of milk and dairy group in growth and strength of bones and teeth whereas had less knowledge about the role of grains group (generation of energy and power for doing work) and meat, legume and egg group (providing of protein for growth and evolution). The most of the households expressed that the importance of fruits and vegetables intake was provided of vitamins, mineral and dietary fiber, respectively. They indicated that they consumed food due to improvement their health and prevention of diseases and then energy intake and in order to growth. The knowledge level of households about dairy group and the importance of fruits and vegetables in providing vitamins were good and acceptable but about bread, grain and meat group was weak as well as the importance of fruits/vegetables in providing mineral and dietary fiber. So they needed to be educated about these fields.
Farivar et al. assessed knowledge, attitude and practice of urban households toward nutrition in Boushehr, Golestan and Sistan & Balouchestan provinces in 2004. The study results showed that the correct knowledge level of these provinces households about recognition of food groups were similar to our study, while the knowledge level of them toward the role of food groups were different from present study. They reported that the most reason of food eating was health and prevention of diseases that were similar to results of our study [9]. In another studies of these provinces, KAP of them about iron deficiency anemia, osteoporosis and osteomalacia were determined that both of them were not acceptable [10], that method of our study was similar theirs with wider population and representative of the entire country [11]. Lainez et al.’s study estimated knowledge and attitude of the Canary Island population toward eating in relation to health. 46.7% of participants considered their knowledge of food and nutrition to be sufficient [12]. Ostadrahimi et al. investigated the effect of education on nutrition knowledge, attitude and practice of employed women in Tabriz University. The results indicated that 82.5, 16.5 and 0.9% of them had good, moderate and weak knowledge, respectively. After the education, their knowledge did not improve significantly [13]. Although the survey on Malaysian elderly showed that 39 and 20% of them had desirable and poor knowledge scores [14]. Mirmiran et al. reported that 26.5, 52.7 and 20.8% of urban Tehranian adults who participated in second phase of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study had good, moderate and poor knowledge scores, respectively [7].
The results of NUTRIKAP study showed that urban and rural households expressed favorable attitudes toward nutrition. The results revealed that more than of 50% of families had positive attitude, although Farivar et al. reported that less than 60% of urban households had favorable attitudes [9]. Lin et al. affirm that there are significantly positive correlations among nutrition knowledge, attitude and practice; and attitude has stronger association with practice than knowledge does [15].
In the present study, the frequency of poultry’s consumption was more than red meat and fish. Around 43 and 47% of urban and rural households consumed fish less than one time in week, 10 and 15% of them never eat fish, respectively. The American Heart Association’s dietary guidelines recommend that healthy adults intake at least two servings of fish per week [16]. The consumption of fish may protect against cardiovascular disease and stroke because of proteins, vitamins, minerals, and especially omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) [17]. Thus, we should identify the factors that lead to decreased fish consumption for improvement of fish intake pattern in households.
Fruits and vegetables are rich sources of antioxidant that these compounds reduce the risk of major chronic diseases [18]. Regular consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with reduce risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, Alzheimer disease and stroke [19]. In this study, more than 60% of households’ fruits and vegetables intake was daily except rural households that 49% of them consumed vegetables every day. The frequency of fruits and vegetables intake of Golestan and Sistan & Balouchestan households in Farivar’s study was similar to households’ intake in our study [9].
In the current study, nearly 80% of household consumed sugar every day and the most of the households never eat chips and sausage. Sugar intake is associated with dental caries, the increased rate of obesity and decreased fruits and vegetables intake [20]-[22]. Therefore, the decreased sugar intake is necessary for prevention of its outcomes.
According to findings of this study, the main sources of nutrition information for urban and rural households included TV, health units, newspaper and magazines. As regards TV was favorite source of nutrition information, how to better use TV as a medium for progress of knowledge, attitude and practice and as a result, to promote of dietary pattern and public health.