Outcomes of Home-Prepared Food Consumption Following a 16-week Internet-Based Weight Loss Intervention

ECU Author/Contributor (non-ECU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)

Reid R Hlavka (Creator)

Institution

East Carolina University (ECU )

Web Site: http://www.ecu.edu/lib/

Abstract: Research has shown that fast food , restaurants , and other away-from-home food sources are associated with a higher intake of calories , saturated fat , total fat , and an increased body mass index (BMI). Despite this , there has been a continuous shift from foods prepared at home to away-from-home sources with approximately one-third of daily energy intake stemming from fast-food outlets and restaurants. Alternatively , research has shown that increased food preparation is associated with an increased likelihood of meeting dietary objectives , improved overall health and survival , and decreased BMI. Therefore , the purpose of this study was to examine the association among home-prepared meal consumption outside of the home and weight outcomes following a 16-week , self-administered weight loss intervention using ecological momentary assessment. Further , this study also examined individual differences (i.e. , health consciousness , food/health literacy , motivations , barriers) associated with home-food preparation behaviors. Forty-seven participants (79.6% female , 59.2% Caucasian) enrolled in a 16-week , self-administered online weight loss intervention. Participants completed baseline measures during the initial orientation to the intervention , as well as ecological momentary assessments of dietary behaviors during the first two weeks of the intervention. Correlational analyses examined the relationship among weight loss , home-prepared food consumption , health consciousness , and health literacy. Paired-sample t-tests and hierarchical linear modeling examined perceptions related home-prepared food consumption while analyses of variance were used to examine motivations and barriers related to home-prepared food consumption. The relationship between weight loss and health consciousness , health literacy , and home-prepared food consumption did not meet the conventional standards of statistical significance. There was , however , as moderate effect size (r = -.455 , p =.077) between home-prepared food consumption and weight loss. Individuals demonstrated greater perceptions of goal consistency , diet success , and diet maintenance during eating episodes when consuming home-prepared food , though overall consumption of home-prepared food did not predict feelings of success and maintenance with one's diet. Saving money and eating healthier appeared to be the greatest motivators to consuming home-prepared food , while time constraints and social interactions pose the greatest barriers to preparing and consuming home-made food. The results of this study suggest that consumption of home-made food may be a successful predictor of weight loss following an internet-based self-help weight loss intervention. Further research on behaviors and perceptions related to food preparation with a larger and more diverse sample is needed to determine the utility of these factors in future weight loss interventions.

Additional Information

Publication

Thesis

Language: English

Date: 2018

Keywords

Food Preparation

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