[Rational nutrition as a prerequisite for eliminating the risk of overweight: public opinion and practice].

OBJECTIVE: Introduction: The awareness of the working-age population regarding the principles of a healthy lifestyle and risk factors of diseases is analyzed. Aim: To identify and characterize the level of awareness of the working-age population regarding the essence of a healthy lifestyle and risk factors (with a focus on irrational nutrition and its consequences).

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and methods: In the sociological study (2017), on request of Dnipropetrovsk regional state administration, methods of deep (N20) and personalized formal interviews (N2000) were used according to a specially developed methodology of qualitative and quantitative research stages and data collection tools.

RESULTS: Results: In their understanding of a healthy lifestyle, 71% of the respondents shared the idea of a mandatory nutrition that meets the needs of a particular person. With a fairly complete awareness as a whole, there is a spread of unhealthy drinking practices with high sugar content (26.7% of respondents), street food (16%), and visiting fast food establishments (10.7%). It has been shown that the rationalization of nutrition at the primary level is underestimated: only 12.7% of the respondents received advice from their family / district doctor or nurse over the past 12 months about the change in nutrition. At the same time, less than a quarter of the recommendations were specified, the rest concerned only healthy eating at all. Therefore, on average, one in three respondents reported adherence to the advised advice. Significantly, more than 40% of respondents consider a significant obstacle to implementing the recommendations of the high cost of "healthy" products.

CONCLUSION: Conclusions: Awareness of the population of Dnipropetrovsk region about the danger of inappropriate nutrition is estimated as insufficient. There is a clear need to increase the training of family medicine, medical staff and combine their activities with information and education work among the population to minimize this risk factor, develop motivation to healthy choices in nutrition practices, and use of sociological research as a basis for measures to improve the medical literacy of the population.