The Nutrition Attitude Survey: associations with dietary habits, psychological and physical well-being, and coronary risk factors.

Attitudes play an important role in the adoption and maintenance of a variety of health habits. In the present study, the Nutrition Attitude Survey (NAS) was developed to measure attitudes pertaining to the adoption of a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet. Factor analysis identified four primary attitudinal factors: Helpless and Unhealthy, Food Exploration, Meat Preference, and Health Consciousness. For a community sample of 415 healthy men and women, relationships were examined among these attitudinal factors and dietary habits, family food patterns, medical and psychological symptoms, and traditional coronary risk factors. For both men and women, the Helpless and Unhealthy factor was associated with increased meat consumption, weight, emotional distress, reported medical and psychological symptoms, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The Food Exploration factor was more characteristic of younger men and women and positively associated with men's reported involvement in family food preparation activities. For both sexes, Meat Preference scores were positively associated with meat consumption and inversely associated with consumption of meatless meals, beans, and fruit. Health Consciousness factor scores were associated with less meat consumption, more meatless meals, and better overall dietary adherence scores for both men and women. Overall, the findings provide initial support for the reliability and predictive validity of the NAS and underscore the importance of assessing and addressing the attitudes and preferences of participants in dietary intervention programs.

Type A behavior, attentional style, and symptom reporting among adult men and women.

Type A behavior and its components (measured on the JAS) were examined in relation to attentional style and symptom reporting in 294 healthy adult men and women. The results showed that for both men and women the JAS Type A, Job Involvement, and Hard Driving factors were all associated with self-reported attentional effectiveness as measured by the Nideffer Test of Attentional and Interpersonal Style. However, a fourth JAS factor, Speed and Impatience, was associated with Nideffer measures of cognitive overload. For both men and women, the Type A, Speed and Impatience, and Hard Driving factors were all positively associated with the number of medical and psychological symptoms reported on the Cornell Medical Index. In addition, acute psychological distress (Hopkins SCL-90R) was associated with Type A behavior for men and with Speed and Impatience for both sexes. Attention differences did not account for the observed positive relationships between Type A factors and symptom reporting with one exception; attentional overload (internal) appeared to partially explain the relationships between symptom reporting and Speed and Impatience in women. In summary, Type As described themselves as having a broader attentional focus and reported more naturally occurring physical and psychological symptoms than did Type Bs.

Behavioral treatment of hyperlipidemia: techniques, results, and future directions.

The present review examines the role of several target behaviors in the treatment of hyperlipidemia, including diet, exercise, cigarette smoking, Type A pattern, and medication adherence. Modification of the typical American diet (high in cholesterol, fat, and sodium) is emphasized in the treatment of hyperlipidemia since a multitude of laboratory, clinical, and epidemiological studies have shown that diet plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of this condition and an increase in coronary risk. Factors affecting patient compliance such as health beliefs and family support are discussed in terms of their impact on behavior change efforts aimed at reducing plasma lipids through dietary and drug regimens. Intervention studies are reviewed in the behavioral treatment of hyperlipidemia. These programs have focused on diet modification, exercise, and medication adherence to reduce plasma lipids and coronary risk. The role of other target behaviors (i.e., Type A pattern and smoking) is explored not only in determining coronary risk but also in terms of their direct impact on plasma lipids. Further research is necessary to clarify the relationship between these target behaviors and plasma lipid levels and to investigate the effects of innovative family- and group-based intervention procedures in promoting and maintaining habit change related to coronary risk reduction.