Current theoretical bases for nutrition intervention and their uses

This chapter discusses contemporary theoretical basis for dietary interventions for disease prevention and management and their applications in practice. This chapter (1) introduces key concepts related to the application of theory in understanding and improving diet and eating-related behaviors, (2) reviews behavioral issues related to adopting healthful diets, (3) discusses dietary interventions, and (4) highlights important issues and constructs that cut across theories. Six theoretical models that are in current use and can be particularly useful for understanding the processes of changing eating habits in clinical and community settings are described: social cognitive theory, the stages of change construct from the transtheoretical model, consumer information processing, the theory of planned behavior, multiattribute utility theory, and the social ecological model. The central elements of each theory and how they can be used to guide dietary interventions are described in this chapter.