(P07-32-26) Understanding American Perceptions of Whole Grains: Results of a National Survey

Objectives: Whole grains are one of the most underconsumed food groups in the American diet and increasing consumption could reduce the burden of chronic disease. This survey aimed to understand how interested Americans are in increasing whole grain consumption and what the barriers are.

Methods: An online survey was conducted using the Ipsos-KnowledgePanel platform to a nationally representative sample of 1,020 English and Spanish Speaking adults ( >18y). The survey included questions on whole-grain intake, interest in increasing intake, motivations for eating more whole grains, and perceived barriers. Survey-weighted descriptive analyses and multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models were used to examine associations between interest in eating more whole grains and intake frequency with sociodemographic characteristics (controlling for sex, age, household income, race, household size, education, and marital status).

Results: Among respondents with complete responses (n=955), 28.2% of respondents reporting high interest ( >7 on a 10-pt scale) and 51.7% reporting moderate interest (3-6/10 pts) in consuming more whole grains. High interest was more common among respondents who already consumed whole grains at least a few times per week than among those consuming them once a week or less (32.4% vs 13.4%). Race was significantly associated with interest in consuming more; the odds of high interest were greater among Other non-Hispanic (OR: 1.87; 95% CI: 1.00, 3.50) and Hispanic respondents (OR: 1.99; 95% CI: 1.28, 3.08) than among White non-Hispanic respondents. Respondents with household incomes above $25,000 were less likely to be interested in increasing whole grain intake than those in the lowest-income group (ORs: 0.47 - 0.50; 95% CIs: 0.26, 0.88 to 0.27, 0.93), despite having higher actual whole-grain intake.

Conclusions: Interest in eating more whole grains was low overall and differed across respondent groups. Efforts to promote whole-grain consumption may therefore be more effective if they are tailored to differences in motivation and interest across population groups.

Funding Sources: USDA, Silicon Valley Community Foundation