Adherence to a Mediterranean diet in a rural Appalachian food desert.

CONCLUSION: Multiple factors were reported as influencing dietary habits in this sample of rural Appalachian residents. Several of the factors reported are amenable to behavioral interventions. Although Appalachia has more residents per square kilometer than the rest of the country, the population density is not uniform across the region. Because many Appalachians live in sparsely populated counties, rurality plays a significant role in factors that affect dietary choice. Interventions that address barriers related to limited knowledge of nutrition, ease of preparation and changing personal habits as well as promote locally available foods, while considering issues specific to a rural population, may lead to sustained dietary changes. PMID: 23331293 [PubMed - in process]
Source: Rural Remote Health - Category: Rural Health Authors: Tags: Rural Remote Health Source Type: research