Nutrition peculiarities and level of awareness in the issues of rational nutrition of the working population of the Sverdlovsk region

Introduction. The peculiarities of the culture of food consumption and the level of awareness in matters of nutrition of the working population of the Sverdlovsk region have been analyzed, the trends contributing to the formation of irrational nutrition have been noted, and recommendations for preventive work have been formulated. The purpose of the study: to identify the peculiarities of food consumption culture and to determine the level of awareness of nutrition among the working population of the Sverdlovsk region. Materials and methods. A quantitative method was used – an online survey using Computer Assisted WEB Interviewing (CAWI) technology with 2,500 respondents. Quota sampling by gender and age of respondents, with the definition of the territory of residence was calculated. Results. The number of meals inappropriate to the recommendations, predominance of carbohydrate component in breakfasts and low representation of vegetables and fruits at any meal were revealed. The tendency to prepare food at home remains. A high level of awareness of working residents of the Sverdlovsk region on issues of rational nutrition was revealed – 73%, with a low level of awareness of the impact of dietary intake on the risk of chronic non-infectious diseases – 48%. Conclusion . It is recommended to disseminate information on the relationship between nutrition and the risk of occurrence and development of chronic non-communicable diseases. Emphasis is placed on the importance of reading information on food labels to identify “hidden” sugar and salt. At the same time, the importance of informing about the norms of consumption of fruits and vegetables, fish, salt and sugar, as well as about the benefits of following the recommended dietary regimen was emphasized. The authors note the need for a deeper analysis of the reasons for the discrepancy between the criteria “know” and “apply” in the issues of rational nutrition among the working population of the Sverdlovsk region.