Nutrition knowledge of aerobic dance instructors

RESEARCH ARTICLE Nutrition Knowledge o~Aerobic Dance Instructors l

JAN SOPER, RUTH ANN CARPENTER, AND BARBARA

M.

SHANNON

Graduate Program in Nutrition, Nutrition Department, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802 ABSTRACT This study examined the nutrition-related knowledge and selected descriptive characteristics of aerobic dance instructors (ADIs). In the initial study phase, ADIs were surveyed in order to identify nutrition concepts pertinent to them. An instrument was then developed to measure nutrition knowledge in three domains (weight control, nutrient requirements, and nutrient sources) and to elicit descriptive information. Instruments were administered at workshops to 504 ADIs and mailed to a randomly selected, nationwide sample of 507 ADIs. Questionnaires returned by 409 of the workshop sample and 135 of the mail sample were analyzed. The two samples of respondents did not differ significantly with regard to several descriptive characteristics nor to mean scores on the nutrition test. The combined samples answered correctly an average of 59% of the items on the total test and 70%, 48%, and 50%, respectively, of the items on the Weight Control, Nutrient Requirements, and Sources of Nutrients subtests. Education level, formal education in nutrition, age, and status as a certified ADI were related positively to nutrition knowledge. Most respondents agreed that educational programs for ADIs should include a nutrition component, and many indicated a high level of interest in nutrition. These results suggest that many AD Is need and desire nutrition education. (JNE 24:59-66, 1992)

Moreover, little is known about aerobics instructors' ability to provide sound nutrition information, because no studies of their nutrition knowledge have been reported. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the nutrition-related knowledge of ADls. Additional objectives were to collect deSCriptive information about the study participants and to examine relationships between their nutrition knowledge and the deSCriptive variables. Study findings may help guide the development of nutrition education materials for ADls.

METHODS

Study design and subjects. The study proceeded in two phases. Phase I ascertained the nutrition concepts most pertinent to ADls; Phase II assessed ADls' knowledge of these concepts and gathered descriptive data. Phase I subjects were a convenience sample of 43 ADls-27 working at various sites in Texas, 14 attending an ADI workshop in Texas, and 2 working at separate locations in Pennsylvania. These volunteer subjects completed a self-administered instrument that asked them if they received nutrition questions from their class participants, the gender and age range(s) of those who most often asked nutrition questions, the topiCS most often asked about, the nutrition topics they (the instructors) wanted to or felt a need to learn more about, and the topics in which they already felt competent to teach. Phase II subjects were ADls from one of two sources: 1) certification/continuing education workshops for AD Is (and those in training), and 2) the membership roster of a United States-based ADI organization. The workshops, sponsored by a nationally recognized research institute, were held from July through October of 1988. Based on U.S. Census Bureau regional boundaries (6), five of the twelve workshops from which study participants were obtained were held in the West, five in the South, and two in the North-central region. None were held in the Northeast region. Workshop staff elicited workshop attendees' participation and administered the study questionnaires during

INTRODUCTION Aerobic dancing is a relatively new sport, with the first aerobic dance studio being founded in 1969 (1). Today, more than 100,000 aerobic dance instructors (AD Is) teach aerobic dancing to an estimated 22 million individuals (2,3). A recent study has shown that fitness class participants are more likely to tum to their fitness instructors than to physicians or dietitians for nutrition information (4). Fitness instructors were described as being among the "most useful" (4) and "credible" (5) sources of nutrition information. However, formal education in nutrition is not a mandatory prerequisite to teaching aerobics classes.

[Present address: The Institute for Aerobics Research, Dallas, TX Address for correspondence' Barbara M. Shannon, Ph.D., R.D., Graduate Program in Nutrition, Nutrition Department, The Pennsylvania State University, UniverSity Park, PA 16802. 0022-3182/92/2402-0059$03.00/0 © 1992 SOCIETY FOR NUTRITION EDUCATION 59

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a scheduled block of time preceding any discussion of nutrition. The membership roster included names and addresses of approximately 55,000 ADls nationwide. Ten names per state and the District of Columbia were drawn, at random, using random starter numbers. A packet containing a cover letter, study questionnaire, and postqgepaid envelope was sent to each of these subjects in July 1988. Reminder postcards were sent two weeks after the initial mailing.

Survey instrument. Responses of Phase I participants revealed that they were often asked about, and were interested in learning more about, nutrition concepts related to 1) weight control, 2) nutrient requirements, and 3) sources of nutrients. Accordingly, 98 true-false and multiple-choice test items were constructed to assess knowledge of concepts within these three domains. These test items were included on questionnaires administered, in a pilot study, to 40 ADls attending continuing education workshops in Dallas, Texas and Portland, Oregon. Difficulty and pointbiserial indices generated by item analysis of the pilot subjects' responses were used to reduce the number of nutrition test items to 45 with 21, 12, and 12 items, respectively, in the Weight Control, Nutrient Requirements, and Sources of Nutrients domains. All test items included a "not sure" response option that was considered incorrect (0 points) if chosen; correct responses received 1 point, to yield a maximum possible score of 45. The Kuder Richardson-20 coefficient calculated from the main study participants' responses to the 45 items was 0.82, indicating a high degree of internal consistency. In addition to the nutrition test, items were developed to investigate self-perceived nutrition knowledge, a belief pertaining to nutrition education, and interest in nutrition. These items were included on the pilot questionnaires. Study participants rated their knowledge in each of the three domains on a five-point continuum from "poor" (1 point) to "excellent" (5 points). A five-statement Likerttype scale measured strength of belief in the construct: "Educational programs for aerobics instructors should include a nutrition component." Response options were on a five-point continuum ranging from "strongly agree" (5 points) to "strongly disagree" (I point). Scores for the five statements were averaged, so the maximum possible score was 5. The Cronbach alpha coefficient calculated from the main study participants' responses to items on the belief scale was 0.78. Level of interest in nutrition was assessed by asking study participants if they were "not at all," "somewhat," or "very" interested in learning more about nutrition. Participants were also asked to indicate their thoughts about nutrition in relation to their jobs as ADIs. Finally, the instrument elicited information on the study participants' demographiCS, nutrition education background, ADI certification status and experience, sources of nutrition information, and use of nutrient/other supple-

ments. These items were likewise pilot tested and revised as necessary. Data analysis. Respondents' data were entered into analysis if they a) reported that they were currently an AD I (or training to become one), b) resided in the United States, and c) left blank less than eight nutrition test items and less than eight other questionnaire items. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (7) was used for data analysis. Chi-square analysis and student's t-tests were used to compare the two study samples. Also used were Pearson correlation analysis to examine bivariate relationships, one-way analysis of variance (AN OVA) with Scheffe's test to examine differences in total nutrition test scores according to education level, and stepwise multiple correlation regression analysis to determine the combined and net effects of the deSCriptive variables on nutrition knowledge.

RESULTS Of the 504 questionnaires administered to workshop attendees, 429 (85%) were completed; 409 (81%) qualified for data analysis and comprised the WORKSHOP sample. Of the 507 questionnaires mailed to a random sample of AD Is, 84 (16%) were returned because of an incorrect address and 155 (30%) were completed; 135 (27%) qualified for data analysis and comprised the MAIL sample. The total number of study participants was 544 (54% of the Original pool). WORKSHOP sample respondents were from 27 states, plus the District of Columbia. Of this sample, 40% lived in the West, 39% in the South, 19% in the North-central and < 1% in the Northeast regions of the U. S. This distribution reflects the observation that WORKSHOP respondents generally resided near the site of the workshop at which they completed the questionnaires. MAIL sample respondents were from 48 states, plus the District of Columbia. Of this sample, 27% lived in the West, 34% in the South, 22% in the North-central, and 17% in the Northeast. The two samples were very similar with regard to the variables examined. There was no Significant difference in their distribution by gender, age, height, weight, educational background, or nutritional supplement use. Furthermore, their mean scores on the knowledge test did not differ Significantly, nor did their self-perceived knowledge or nutrition interest scale scores. The MAIL sample had worked as ADls an average of two years longer than the WORKSHOP sample (6.3 vs. 4.4; P < .001), and a greater number of the former were instructor-certified (87% vs. 76%; P :s:; .01). These sample differences likely reflect the fact that the WORKSHOP sample, unlike the MAIL sample, included individuals who were still "in training." The mean belief scale scores of the two samples differed by 0.1

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Educ. Vol. 24, No 2

points, a difference that was statistically Significant (p < .05) but too small to be of practical importance. Given the similarities of the two samples, the data were pooled. Reported here are the outcomes of the survey for the combined samples. Most respondents (96%) were female, and their mean (± SD ) age was 33 (± 7) years._ Mean (± SD) height and weight offemales was 65 (± 2) inches and 124 (± 13) pounds; that of males was 70 (± 3) inches and 163 (± 25) pounds. Table 1 presents data about the respondents' general and formal nutrition education, aerobics instructor certification and experience, and sources of nutrition information. Most respondents (86%) reported at least some college or other post-secondary education (such as vocational or technical school); a similar percentage reported some formal nutrition education. Most respondents spent less than 10 hours per week leading aerobic dance classes. The most widely used sources of nutrition information were three types of printed materials: publications from professional dance exercise organizations, the popular press, and nutrition labels. Respondents were more likely to tum to exercise professionals than to dietitians or nurses/physicians for nutrition information. The 425 instructor-certified respondents cited more than 50 organizations as the source(s) of their certification. The two leading sources were the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) (39%) and the International Dance-Exercise Association Foundation (IDEA Foundation) (36%). Other top sources of certification were the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) (14%), National Dance-Exercise Instructor's Training Association (NDEITA) (12%), the Institute for Aerobics Research (IAR ) (11%), Mary Mayta Aerobic Fitness, Inc. (4%), Rhythmic Aerobics (3%) , and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) (2%). Of the 535 study participants who provided data on supplement use, 270 (50.5%) indicated that they used one or more types of supplements on a regular basis. Of the supplement users, 92% took one or more vitamins, close to half (49%) took one or more minerals, less than onefifth (16%) took amino acid or protein supplements, and only a few (6%) used "other" supplements, including carbohydrate drinks, lecithin, herbs, flower pollen, and alfalfa. The mean total test score for the combined samples was 26.5 ± 6.8 (range = 7-43), or 59% correct (range = 16%-96% correct). The mean percentage of correct responses for the Weight Control, Nutrient Requirements, and Sources of Nutrients subtests, respectively, were 70%, 48%, and 50%. Table 2 presents the nutrition concept tested by each item and the distribution of correct, incorrect, and not sure responses to the items. About half of the items in the Weight Control domain were answered correctly by 70% or more.of the subjects, but less than 20% of the items in the Nutrient Requirements and Sources of Nutrients domains were answered correctly by 70% or more of the subjects. Respondents were least knowledgeable about specific concepts pertaining to the use of cal-

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Table 1. Distribution of respondents according to general education, formal nutrition education, aerobic dance instructor (ADI) certification and experience, and mostused sources of nutrition information. 1 Descriptive Variable General Education !> High school graduate Some post-secondary Completed post-secondary Some graduate education or degree Formal Nutrition Education Some (High school courses, college courses , workshops for ADls, other) None ADI Certification Status One or more certificates No certificates ADI Experience Number of hours/week leading aerobics classes Number of years worked as an ADI Sources of Nutrition Information Professional magazines/manuals/ newsletters for dance/exercise Popular books/cookbooks/magazines Nutrition labels on foods/beverages Exercise professionals Health food store personnel/literature Scientific journals/books/seminars Television/video Dietitians Nurses/physicians Other3 None

Total Sample (n) 14% 35 34 17

(76) (190) (182) (94)

86%

(460)

14

(77)

79% 21

(425) (112)

6:!:3

(535)

5:!:3

(535)

64%

(344)

62

(333)

50

(270)

28 20 20 18 16 16 2 < 1

(152) (109) (109) (97) (86) (86) (12) (4)

lValues are mean percentage (%) or mean::!: SO. 2Multiple responses; therefore, column total exceeds 100%. 3National Dairy Council, Cooperative Extension Offices, American Heart Association, relatives.

cium supplements by postmenopausal women, the functions of B vitamins and ascorbic acid, the Recommended Dietary Allowances, the effect of cooking on the nutrient content of foods, the relative bioavailability of iron from plant versus animal sources, and sources of monounsaturated fat and potassium. Most respondents rated their knowledge about Weight Control as "good to very good" (mean score = 3.5 ± 0.8) and their knowledge about Nutrient Requirements and Sources as "good" (mean score = 2.9 ± 0.9 for each of the latter domains). The mean belief scale score of the combined samples was 4.7 ± 0.4 (out of a maximum of 5.0) , indicating rather strong agreement with the belief that "Educational programs for aerobics instructors should include a nutrition component." Of the 538 subjects who responded to the nutrition interest scale, 481 (89%) indicated that they were "very interested" and the remaining 57 (11%) "somewhat inter-

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Soper et al. / AEROBIC DANCE

Table 2.

Percentages of correct (COR), incorrect (INC), and not sure (NS) responses to nutrition test items. 1,2,3

Knowledge Domain Concepts Tested Nutrition for Weight Control Rate of weight loss Fasting Behavior modification Laxatives Safe calorie level for weight loss Basal energy Loss of body fat Exercise and weight loss Dietetic foods Weight reduction programs Bedtime snacks Complex carbohydrates Sugar and energy Calories for weight gain Iron supplements and energy Alcoholic beverages Protein and stored energy Fat vs. protein calories Caloric density of selected foods Weight gain of lean mass Amino acid supplements and energy Nutrient Requirements Multivitamins Sodium in relation to "salt cravings" Megadoses of B vitamins Fluid replacement Cholesterol Iron supplements Fluid needs in relation to thirst Protein Calcium supplements B vitamins Vitamin C for iron absorption Recommended Dietary Allowances Nutrient Sources Sodium Fiber Vitamin A Fat/cholesterol Simple sugar Complementary protein Calcium B vitamin Monounsaturated fat Effects of cooking on nutrients Iron Potasium

Correct 97%

94

90 88

82

80

78

74

72 71

69 68

66 62 61

60

57 54

Responses Incorrect 1%

3 8 1

10

11 9

14 19

21

Not Sure

2% 3 2

11 8 9

12 12 8 7

18

13

9 17 15

29

13 25

22

19 7

22

25 20 30

52 49 46

25 41 37 24

14 30

82

13 12

4 16

72 61

60 52

43

42

16 8

36

35 55

27

39 42 22 32

94

3

40 38

37 26

77

64 60

50

9 17

7

22 32 13 22 3

21

19 40

41 24 3 15 18

53

28 30

35

12 25 36 37

39 31 26

64

22

49 48 44 37

24 13

17

51

11

14

33

27

25

1Total number of respondents = 544. 2Concepts not in order presented on the nutrition test. 3Some row percentages do not total 100% because of rounding and exclusion of individuals leaving items blank.

ested" in learning more about nutrition. A total of 136 respondents (25%) shared their thoughts about nutrition in relation to their jobs as ADls. Pregnancy, premenstrual syndrome, stress, aging, children, caffeine, pesticides, and eating disorders were topics (other than those covered on the knowledge test) that respondents mentioned as being of interest to themselves or to their class participants. Several respondents mentioned a need or desire for education

in nutrition. Some requested more frequent, more indepth nutrition education at workshops for ADIs; others requested nutrition education materials such as basic nutrition reference books. Still other respondents wrote comments reflecting the view that nutrition is an integral part of exercise and fitness. Overall, the comments were favorable and supported other findings suggesting a high level of interest in nutrition among respondents.

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Table 3. Respondents' mean scores 1 on the nutrition test according to formal nutrition education background, aerobic dance instructor (ADI) certification, and supplement use.

Descriptive Variable

Formal Nutrition Education Some (n = 460) None (n = 78) ADI Certificates <:! One (n = 425) None (n = 112) Supplement Use <:! One2 (n = 268) None (n = 265)

Weight Control (21 items)

Subtest Scores Nutrient Requirements (12 items)

Sources of Nutrients (12 items)

Total Test Score (45 items)

72 ± 15% 61 ± 17***

50 ±20% 40 ± 17***

52 ± 20% 43 ± 18**·

60 ± 15% 51 ± 14··'

71 ± 16% 64 ± 16**·

49 ± 19% 42 ± 20***

52 ± 20% 43 ± 17**'

60 ± 15% 53 ± 14**'

69 ± 16% 71 ± 16

46 ± 19% 51 ± 20**

50 ± 19% 50 ± 21

58 ± 14% 60 ± 16

lMean scores presented as mean percentage (± SO) of items answered correctedly, with asterisks indicating scores within a vertical pair that are significantly different according to student's Hest analysis. 2Use one or more types of supplements (i.e., vitamins, minerals, amino acids or protein powder, "other") on a regular basis. **p < .01, .*.p < .001

Pooled data for the two samples were used to examine relationships among variables. Mean nutrition test scores increased as level of education increased (F = 13.77, df = 3, P < .001). As shown on Table 3, total test and subtest scores were higher for those who had some (versus no) type of formal nutrition education background and for those who had one or more (versus no) aerobics instructor certificates. Non-users of supplements scored significantly higher than supplement users on the Nutrient Requirements sub test and showed a trend toward scoring higher both on the Weight Control subtest and on the test in total. Significant positive correlations (p < .001) emerged between self-ratings of knowledge and scores on the corresponding nutrition subtest, with the respective correlation coefficients being .35, .29, and .39 for the Weight Control, Nutrient Requirements and Nutrient Sources domains. The correlation coefficients presented in Table 4 reveal that subjects who were older, those who spent a greater number of hours per week leading aerobics classes, and those who had worked a greater number of years as ADls had higher scores both on the total test and on one or more subtests. Belief scale scores were not related to total test scores (r = .03). The results of multiple correlation regression analysis revealed that five variables-age, hours per week leading aerobics classes, ADI certification status, formal nutrition education background, and level of education-together accounted for 17.6% of the variance in total nutrition test scores.

DISCUSSION This study was one of the first, if not the first, to examine the nutrition-related knowledge and correlates of this knowledge in a sample of ADls. Respondents' mean level of knowledge in the Nutrient Requirements and Sources

of Nutrients domains was not impressive. Their lack of knowledge about B vitamin functions and sources is similar to what others have found among adults (4,8,9). Similarly, their lack of knowledge about what the Recommended Dietary Allowances represent concurs with findings among other adult samples (10,11). The respondents' apparent unfamiliarity with recommendations pertaining to the use of iron and calcium supplements might be due to the relative derth of cautionary messages in the media about supplementary minerals compared with the widespread "pro-supplement" messages. Like the female athletes studied by Barr (4), most of the respondents (76%) were apparently unaware of the greater bioavailability of heme versus non-heme iron. About half (49%) of the respondents indicated misconceptions about dietary cholesterol. Some respondents who incorrectly agreed with the test statement "Cholesterol is essential in the diet of adults" wrote comments-including: "10%," "good kind," "HDL," and "certain kinds"-next to their response. Such comments provide evidence of confusion about the relationships among dietary cholesterol, dietary fats , and blood lipoproteins. The finding that a majority (55%) of ADls incorrectly agreed that thirst is an accurate indicator of the body's needs for fluid during exercise agrees with findings among college athletes (12), coaches (13), and fitness class participants (4). Also, the samples' low scores on a concept relating to athletes' protein requirements is similar to what others have reported among college athletes (12) and students (14). Many of the respondents demonstrated limited knowledge about sources of potassium : 64% incorrectly responded "true" and 22% responded "not sure" to the test item "Potassium is found almost exclUSively in fruits and vegetables." A highly speculative explanation is that the aerobics instructor manuals (15,16) used in the programs

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Table 4.

Pearson correlation coefficients for relationships between selected descriptive variables and nutrition test scores.

n

Descriptive Variable

Weight Control

Nutrient Requirements

Sources of Nutrients r value

Age Number of hours/weekleading aerobics classes Number of years worked as an aerobics instructor *p < .OS, •• p

$;

.01, ••• p

$;

S41 S3S

.:1'9*** .16***

.1S*** .10*

.20··· .10·

.22*** .1S***

.13**

.06

.08

.11··

S3S

.001

that most often certified the respondents cite only bananas and citrus juices as major dietary sources of potassium. In contrast to these misconceptions and limitations in nutritional knowledge, the respondents were quite knowledgeable about several concepts pertaining to weight reduction. Also, most of them, like adults in other samples (4,8,9), were familiar with sources of fiber. In addition, the vast majority of the respondents (94%) identified salt as a source of sodium, using an ingredient label. This is not surprising, given reports that consumers have been trying to avoid foods high in sodium (17-20) and using ingredient lists to do so (20). The prevalence of supplement use among this sample of ADls (i.e., 50.5%) was not as great as the 64% reported by Barr (4) among fitness class participants. Nor was it as great as the 67-85% reported among marathon runners (4) , varsity athletes (21), vegetarians (22,23) and residents of seven western states (24). However, the supplement user rate in this study was similar to that reported among some samples of the general adult population (18,22) and college students (21,25), and it was greater than the 27-43% reported among other samples of athletes (12,26) and the general adult population (27,28). The finding that vitamins were the most widely used type of supplement agrees with findings in several studies (22-27, 29, 30). The negative relationship that was observed between supplement use and scores on one of the nutrition subtests is similar to findings reported in a study by Barr (4) of female fitness class participants and marathon runners. Other researchers (22,23), however, observed no relationship between supplement use and nutrition knowledge. The positive relationship between instructor certification and nutrition knowledge might reflect the acquisition of knowledge via the nutrition education that some ADI organizations provide. For example, the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America, the International Dance-Exercise Association Foundation, the National Dance-Exercise Instructor's Association , the Institute for Aerobics Research, and the American College of Sports Medicine prOvide nutrition information in their workshops for instructors andlor in their publications. The lack of a Significant relationship between scores on the belief scale and on the total nutrition test was not

surprising, given that almost all respondents had high belief scale scores. The small variation in belief scale scores created a "ceiling effect," so that one would not expect relationships to emerge.

CONCLUSIONS The study results indicate that many ADIs in the present sample need and desire some education in nutrition. Of course, the self-selected nature of this study sample may have created some bias in the responses. ADIs who were interested in nutrition may be over-represented, and ADIs in the Northeastern U.S. may be under-represented. Nevertheless, the descriptive characteristics (i.e., gender, age, height, weight, time spent leading aerobics classes, and education level) of the respondents were strikingly similar to those reported for other samples of ADIs (31-35) . Therefore, the findings seem sufficiently applicable to the U.S. population of AD Is to justify the recommendation that nutrition educators should a) increase their efforts to develop a working relationship with ADIs, b) foster ADIs' interest in nutrition and favorable beliefs about proper diet, and c) help teach ADls about nutrition. Future studies are necessary to clearly establish the type and extent of nutrition information that ADls desire, their preferred means (e.g., audiovisual, printed material, and workshops) of obtaining nutrition information, and their means of sharing this information with class participants. The extent that ADIs' nutrition knowledge influences their food-related practices also deserves attention.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This article is based on a masters thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Science degree at The Pennsylvania State University. This study was supported, in part, by funds from The University's Intercollege Graduate Program in Nutrition. Preliminary reports of selected parts of these data were presented at the 1989 annual meetings of Sports and Cardiovascular Nutritionists in Seattle, Washington, and the Society for Nutrition Education in Chicago, Illinois. The authors express special thanks to Reebok Professional Instructor Alliance

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and Staff at the Institute for Aerobics Research who assisted in this research.

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RESUME Cette etude portait sur Ie lien entre les connaissances en nutrition et certaines caracteristiques descriptives des moniteurs en danse aerobique. Dans la premiere phase de la recherche, on a interroge des moniteurs afin d'identifier les concepts en nutrition qui les interessaient. Puis on a elabore un instrument pour mesurer les connaissances en nutrition dans trois domaines (Le. Ie traitement des problemes de pOids, les besoins nutrition nels et les sources d'elements nutritifs) et recueillir l'information deSCriptive. On a distribue des questionnaires a 504 moniteurs lors d'ateliers et on en a poste a un echantillon national de 507 moniteurs choisis au hasard. On a analyse 409 des questionnaires retoumes lors des ateliers et 135 de ceux retoumes par la poste. Les deux echantillons ne presentaient pas de differences significatives en ce qui a trait aplusieurs des caracteristiques descriptives ni par rapport a la moyenne des resultats du test de nutrition. Si l'on combine les resultats, on a repondu correctement a 59% de l'ensemble des questions en moyenne; on a repondu a 70, 48 et 50% respectivement des questions sur Ie traitement des problemes de pOids, les besoins nutritionnels et les sources d'elements nutritifs. L'analyse a permis d'etablir un lien positif entre les connaissances en nutrition et Ie niveau d'instruction, une formation en nutrition, l'age et un statut de moniteur de danse aerobique reconnu. La plupart des personnes interrogees ont admis que la formation des moniteurs devrait inclure la nutrition et plusieurs ont manifeste un grand interet pour Ie sujet. Ces resultats suggerent un besoin et un desir d'education en nutrition chez plusieurs moniteurs. Translated by M"" Lydia Dumais RESUMEN EI presente estudio examino el conocimiento relacionado con la nutricion y algunas caracteristicas descriptivas, seleccionadas, en un grupo de instructores de danza aerobica (ADIS). En la fase inicial del estudio, ADIS fueron entrevistados para identificar los conceptos pertinentes para ellos. Un instrumento fue desarrollado para medir los conomicientos sobre nutricion en tres areas de contenido (Le . control de peso, necesidades

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de nutrimentos y fuentes de nutrimentos). Los cuestionarios fueron aplicados en talleres can 504 ADIs, y enviados par correo a una muestra de 507 ADIS a nivel nacional. Se analizaron 409 cuestionarios de los participantes en el taller, y 135 de los enviados par correa. No se observaron diferencias significativas entre los dos grupos de participantes, can respecto de varias caracteristicas descriptivas, ni en el promedio de calificacion en el exam en de conocimientos sabre nutricion. El grupo total contesto .correctamente 59% de las preguntas en el examen, y 70%,48%, Y 50%, respectivamente sabre los aspectos de control de peso,

necesidades de nutrimentos y fuentes de nutrimentos. El nivel de educacion, educacion formal en nutricion, edad, y situacion social-profesional, fueron relacionados en forma positiva con el nivel de conocimientos en nutricion. La mayoria de los que respondieron al cuestionario, estuvieron de acuerdo en que los programas de capacitacion para ADIs, deberian tener un componente sabre nutricion. La mayoria de los participantes reportaron un alto nivel de conocimientos sobre nutricion, asi como un gran interes por obtener mayor informacion sabre salud y nutricion. Translated by Maria Teresa Cerqueira

INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON VEGETARIAN NUTRITION The Second International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition will be held June 28-July 1, 1992 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott, Arlington, Virginia. This scientific forum to explore research findings , health implications, and practical applications of vegetarian nutrition is co-sponsored by Lorna Linda University and Medical Center (California) and the Seventh-Day Adventist Dietetic Association. For more information, please contact Dr. Patricia K. Johnston, School of Public Health, Lorna Linda University, Lorna Linda, CA 92350; (800) 8545661; FAX (714) 824-4087.