Differences in knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of seafood eaters who consume recommended intakes vs. those who don't

Seafood is an excellent source of essential omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the diet. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) advocate the intake of two servings of fish per week noting a link with potential cardiovascular health benefits. Many health organizations, including American Heart Association, concur with this recommendation. Our secondary data analysis of a nationwide Internet survey compared current seafood eaters who consume the DGA recommended amounts (CSE-R) with those not meeting recommendations (CSE-NR), former seafood eaters (FSE) and non-seafood eaters (NSE), to further clarify the knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of consumers with regard to seafood. The purpose of this study was to advance our understanding of consumer perceptions and reasons for current decisions regarding seafood consumption. It is important to identify differences in characteristics of those who eat the recommended amount of seafood and those who do not, in order to promote seafood consumption to the population as a whole to meet the national recommendations. Preliminary results indicated of the 1062 respondents, only 19.2% reported eating seafood in the recommended amount (CSE-R) while the majority (68.5%) of participants (CSE-NR) reported consuming some seafood but in inadequate amounts. Those in the CSE-R group tended to be older with more education and lived in a state bordering water. Final results of this study will present knowledge and belief differences among the groups and provide educators and health practitioners with a basis for developing more effective messages and methods for promoting the benefits of seafood consumption