Do U.S. consumers know the differences between fats and their relationships with heart disease

Information on consumer knowledge of different dietary fatty acids and their relationships to the risk of heart disease is crucial to food labeling and nutrition education and communication programs designed to reduce one of the most important public health risks in the United States. Most consumers are aware that fat contributes to heart disease but pay attention only to total fat contents in foods. Yet, not all dietary fatty acids have the same relationship with the risk of heart disease. While saturated and trans fatty acids have been shown to increase the risk of heart disease, unsaturated fatty acids (for example, monounsaturated) have been shown to reduce the risk. Consumers need to recognize the differences to make proper dietary choices. This study investigates consumer awareness of six dietary fatty acids (saturated, trans, Omega-3, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and hydrogenated oil) and their relationships with the risk of heart disease. The data come from a 2004 Food and Drug Administration national telephone survey of adults in the United States. This study reports prevalence of correct and incorrect knowledge as well as prevalence of ignorance, compares and contrasts among responses to the six dietary fatty acids, and examines how the prevalence varied among population subgroups. This study also attempts to identify key correlates of fat knowledge among socio-demographic (e.g., education, gender, age, race/ethnicity) and personal health (e.g., BMI, chronic illnesses) characteristics. The information will be useful for policy makers and public health practitioners in promoting healthy diets to reduce the risk of heart disease.