L. Marquart, M. Croy, T. Burgess Champoux and J. Sobal
Dept. Food Science & Nutrition, U. Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108 USA
Dept. Nutritional Sciences, Cornell U. Ithaca, NY 14853 USA

Considerable epidemiological and clinical data suggest whole grain (WG) intake reduces risk for certain chronic diseases.  Public policy guidelines encourage greater WG intake.  However, WG consumption remains below recommended levels and consumer understanding is minimal. There is a need to understand how consumers think about WG in order to effectively research, educate and market WG foods.

A 21-item self-administered questionnaire was developed based upon the Social Cognitive Theory and previous research.  The survey included: demographics, exercise habits, knowledge and classification of WG and influence of environmental factors.  A total of 103 respondents, 64% female, from a local health club completed the survey. All respondents except for one were regular exercisers.

In terms of WG knowledge, most did not know how to identify a WG food, recommended # of servings and potential health benefits related to chronic disease. When asked, what makes a food a WG, the most common responses were that it was unprocessed or the entire grain was used. Respondents indicated that people likely to consume WG were health conscious and more educated. Occasions where some respondents felt it would be difficult to eat WG included fast food restaurants, eating on the run, and for snacks.

This research suggests consumers have limited WG knowledge, emphasize processing methods in the identification of WG foods and have some understanding of situations where WG might be consumed.  Additional behavioral research is needed to clarify consumer issues related to WG consumption.