NUTRITION KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES, DIETARY INTAKES AND HOUSEHOLD LABOR DIVISION OF PARENTS EMPLOYED OUTSIDE THE HOME

One hundred married couples employed outside the home and with at least 1 child under 12 years were interviewed regarding their household labor division, nutrition knowledge, food and nutrition discussions, dietary intake and selected family characteristics. In general, household labor was divided along traditional lines with the most unstereotypified tasks being responsibility for money and bills, followed by breakfast preparation. The most frequently missed nutrition knowledge questions required knowledge of nutrients or nutritional quality of foods.;Analysis of covariance showed that education level was the best predictor of parents' nutrition knowledge. Mothers discussed food more than fathers, and low income families more than those with higher incomes. The best predictor of food discussion was parents' age. Parents talked less about food the longer they were married. Niacin and calcium intakes were negatively related to hours worked per week. Parents' ages were related positively to their intake of vitamins A and C, whereas calcium intakes decreased with age. Parents who had attained higher education levels had greater intakes of calcium. Fathers' nutrition knowledge was correlated positively with their nutrition discussion (p (LESSTHEQ) 0.001) and food-related labor division (p (LESSTHEQ) 0.01).;The data suggest that nutrition education for families should include fathers because their nutrition knowledge was related to their perceived discussion of nutrition and their participation in family food-related tasks.;Dietary intake of 12 nutrients was assessed by 24-hour dietary recall and compared to the 1980 Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA). At least 50% of the parents had adequate ((GREATERTHEQ) 70% of RDA) intakes of protein, vitamin B-12, riboflavin and niacin. A majority ((GREATERTHEQ) 65%) of the fathers' intakes of thiamine, calcium and iron were adequate and 61% of the mothers had adequate vitamin C intakes. Intakes of vitamin A, vitamin B-6, pantothenic acid and magnesium were low ((LESSTHEQ) 69% of RDA) for (LESSTHEQ) 55% of the parents, and a majority ((LESSTHEQ) 55%) of the mothers also had low intakes of calcium and iron. The dietary composite index, NAR, was (GREATERTHEQ) 70% for 73% of the fathers and for 53% of the mothers; 29% of the mothers scored (LESSTHEQ) 55%.