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Objective: To examine purchase patterns at fast-food restaurants and their relation to restaurant characteristics, customer characteristics, and use of calorie information. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Setting: Fast-food restaurants in New York State. Participants: Adult fast-food restaurant customers (n = 1,094). Variables Measured: Restaurant characteristics (fast-food chain type, presence of calorie labels, and poverty of location), participant characteristics (demographics, calorie knowledge, awareness, and use), and customer purchasing patterns (ordering low-calorie or no beverage, small or no fries, or < 3 items) were used as predictors of total calories purchased. Analysis: Multiple regression. Results: In a regression model including restaurant and customer characteristics, fast-food chain customer age, sex, calorie use, and calorie awareness were independently associated with total calories purchased (all P < .05; model R2 = .19). When 3 purchasing patterns were added to the model, calorie use (P - .005), but not calorie awareness, remained associated with total calories purchased. The 3 purchase patterns collectively accounted for the majority of variance in calorie totals (Δ model R2 = .40). Conclusions and Implications: Promoting use of calorie information, purchase strategies, and calorie awareness represents complementary ways to support lower-calorie choices at fast-food chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This paper presents the reliability and validity of a "competing food choice" construct designed to assess whether factors related to consumption of less-healthful food were perceived to be barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption in college freshmen. Design: Cross-sectional, self-administered survey. Setting: An urban public college with a large, diverse student population. Participants: A convenience sample of 408 college freshmen. Variables Measured: A "competing food choice" construct and fruit and vegetable intake. Analyses: Factor analysis, Cronbach α, and correlation coefficients were used to determine the reliability and validity of the construct. Results: Three factors were produced from the factor analysis of the 11-item competing food choice construct: "competitive food" barriers (Cronbach α = 0.73), fruit and vegetable-related "time" barriers (Cronbach α = 0.67), and "quality" barriers (Cronbach α = 0.64). Construct validity assessments revealed significant inverse correlations between fruit and vegetable consumption and competitive food barriers (r = -0.15, p < .01 current and r = -0.25, P < .01 prior) and time barriers (r = -0.12, P < .05 current and r -0.10, P < .05 prior). Conclusions and Implications: This "competing food choice" construct demonstrated satisfactory reliability and construct validity among college freshmen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]