Understanding awareness of young adults on dietary phytochemicals: A Pilot Study

Authors

  • Nita Ann Johnson Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women, Tamil Nadu, India
  • S. Kowsalya Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women, Tamil Nadu, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46947/joaasr322021140

Keywords:

Obesity, phytochemicals, diet regulation, knowledge assessment, pilot study

Abstract

Background: This pilot study was conducted to assess the knowledge about phytochemicals
among young adults to understand the need for upholding the existing dietary guidelines for Indians
which encouraged consumption of vegetable foods as one of the measures to control lifestyle obesity.
Materials & Methods: A cross-sectional study design with snowball sampling of 90 subjects aged 18 to
35 years was implemented. This study includes data from Southern and Western Indian States. Data had
to be collected using Google Forms due to the restrictions of Covid-19 on human interaction as per
specified safety guidelines. Results: Although 63.33 percent knew about phytochemicals, only 41.11
percent were aware of dietary phytochemicals with 38.88 percent accepting that it may be beneficial to
them. 64.44 percent did not know about the different foods that included dietary phytochemicals with 10
percent only acknowledging phytochemicals for their anti-cancer properties. 71.11 percent failed to
identify the different types of dietary phytochemicals and 97.77 percent admitted that they wanted to
learn more about the role that phytochemicals played in their health. Conclusion: Although obesity can
result from many genetic and environmental factors, understanding the role of diet-related factors for its
regulation will go a long way in diminishing chances of future generations becoming obese, thereby
leading to a healthier population.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

Downloads

Published

2021-01-28

How to Cite

Nita Ann Johnson, & S. Kowsalya. (2021). Understanding awareness of young adults on dietary phytochemicals: A Pilot Study. JOURNAL OF ADVANCED APPLIED SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, 3(2), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.46947/joaasr322021140