Self-Reported Awareness and Adherence to Recommendations for Dietary Fat Amongst Australian Adults Aged 18–45 Years: Potential Relevance to Cardiovascular Health
- 1Deakin Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia
- 2Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
- 3Exercise Physiology and Cardiovascular Health Lab, Division of Cardiac Prevention and Rehabilitation, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, ON K1Y 4W7, Canada
Abstract
Background: In Australia, the National Health and Medical Research Council provides Nutrient Reference Values (NRVs) and the Australian Dietary Guidelines (ADG) to support public understanding of dietary fat intake and its role in cardiovascular as well as overall health. However, little is known about how effectively these recommendations reach and influence the public. This study examined self-reported awareness and beliefs related to dietary fats, with a particular focus on adherence to NRVs and ADG. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted using Qualtrics among Australian adults aged 18–45 years. Data were analysed using Stata. A total of 132 participants were included in the analysis. Results: The respondents were largely females (89%), 71% had a Bachelor’s degree or higher level of education, 90% had some form of employment and 93% were non-smokers. More than half the respondents reported being unaware of Australian dietary fat recommendations. Only 7% agreed that they followed these recommendations, while 37% reported the guidelines were difficult to access and 24% expressed uncertainty about their accessibility. Although most participants considered saturated fats as detrimental and omega-3 polyunsaturated fats as beneficial for health, awareness and adherence to national dietary fat recommendations remained low. Social media was the most frequently reported source of nutrition information (20%), exceeding healthcare professionals (14%). Conclusions: Overall, this survey demonstrates low self-reported awareness and adherence to national dietary fat recommendations and a greater reliance on social media than health professionals for sourcing nutrition information in our study sample. Strategies to improve the accessibility, visibility and communication of dietary fat recommendations may enhance public understanding and may support dietary behaviours beneficial for good overall and cardiovascular health.
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BibTeX
@article{karimi2026selfreported,
title = {{Self-Reported Awareness and Adherence to Recommendations for Dietary Fat Amongst Australian Adults Aged 18–45 Years: Potential Relevance to Cardiovascular Health}},
author = {Elmira Karimi and Barbara Brayner and Lewan Parker and Jenna McVicar and Michelle Keske and Sian O’Gorman and Kimberley Way and Gunveen Kaur},
journal = {Nutrients},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.3390/nu18193236},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13666735},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Self-Reported Awareness and Adherence to Recommendations for Dietary Fat Amongst Australian Adults Aged 18–45 Years: Potential Relevance to Cardiovascular Health
AU - Elmira Karimi
AU - Barbara Brayner
AU - Lewan Parker
AU - Jenna McVicar
AU - Michelle Keske
AU - Sian O’Gorman
AU - Kimberley Way
AU - Gunveen Kaur
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/30
JO - Nutrients
DO - 10.3390/nu18193236
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13666735
AB - Background: In Australia, the National Health and Medical Research Council provides Nutrient Reference Values (NRVs) and the Australian Dietary Guidelines (ADG) to support public understanding of dietary fat intake and its role in cardiovascular as well as overall health. However, little is known about how effectively these recommendations reach and influence the public. This study examined self-reported awareness and beliefs related to dietary fats, with a particular focus on adherence to NRVs and ADG. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted using Qualtrics among Australian adults aged 18–45 years. Data were analysed using Stata. A total of 132 participants were included in the analysis. Results: The respondents were largely females (89%), 71% had a Bachelor’s degree or higher level of education, 90% had some form of employment and 93% were non-smokers. More than half the respondents reported being unaware of Australian dietary fat recommendations. Only 7% agreed that they followed these recommendations, while 37% reported the guidelines were difficult to access and 24% expressed uncertainty about their accessibility. Although most participants considered saturated fats as detrimental and omega-3 polyunsaturated fats as beneficial for health, awareness and adherence to national dietary fat recommendations remained low. Social media was the most frequently reported source of nutrition information (20%), exceeding healthcare professionals (14%). Conclusions: Overall, this survey demonstrates low self-reported awareness and adherence to national dietary fat recommendations and a greater reliance on social media than health professionals for sourcing nutrition information in our study sample. Strategies to improve the accessibility, visibility and communication of dietary fat recommendations may enhance public understanding and may support dietary behaviours beneficial for good overall and cardiovascular health.
SN - 2072-6643
ER -