Assessing The Perceived Barriers And Benefits For Milk Products Consumption in Women Living in Tehran

Abstract

Background and Objective: Dairy product is one of the most important nutrition and has a great role in health. However, it is inadequate intake of this nutrient in Iran. This study aimed to investigate perceived benefits and barriers of dairy consumption among women in Tehran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was descriptive and analytical. The statistical population of this study consists of 400 women, covered by health centers in Tehran. The data gathering tool was a questionnaire, included three parts: Standard Dietary Frequency Questionnaire, Demographic Information and Standard Questionnaire related to perceived barriers and benefits. The data were analyzed by using SPSS software and Spearman ،Mann U Whitney and Kruskal_Wallis tests. Results: The mean age was 37 ± 11.9. The highest frequency of use was related to cheese. 78.1 % of women consumed enough dairy product daily. The most important benefit for the women was to maintain healthy bones and teeth and most important perceived barrier was the price of these products. There was a significant relationship between dairy consumption and level of education (P<0/001) and marital status (P<0/004). There was a positive correlation between dairy consumption and perceived benefits and negative correlation between dairy consumption and perceived barriers. Conclusion: This study showed that although the prices is one of the major obstacles for inadequate intake of dairy products but with increasing knowledge and perceived benefits, women consume more dairy products. To improve the diet and health, it is suggested not only to increase women's awareness about the benefits of consuming dairy products, but prices of dairy products will also be considered.

Keywords

• dairy consumption
• perceived barriers
• perceived benefits
• women