Improving diet quality is often framed as a matter of access or education. New research suggests that for many rural adults, motivation, confidence and social support play an equally important role.
In a large cross-sectional study published in Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, researchers found that rural and micropolitan adults who reported stronger motivation to eat well, greater confidence in maintaining healthy habits and more support from family and friends tended to have better overall diet quality and consumed fewer ultraprocessed foods.
The study included 2,420 adults living in rural and micropolitan communities in New York and Texas. Participants completed surveys assessing diet quality, fruit and vegetable intake, fiber intake and ultraprocessed food consumption, alongside questions about psychosocial factors and perceptions of their local food environment.
Adults with higher motivation and confidence around healthy eating reported eating more fruits, vegetables and fiber and fewer ultraprocessed foods. Social support from family and friends was also consistently linked to healthier dietary patterns.
Researchers also examined how participants perceived their local food environment. Greater availability of fresh fruits and vegetables in the community, along with the importance participants placed on food quality, price and selection when choosing where to shop, were associated with better diet quality.
On average, participants reported eating about 2.6 cups of fruits and vegetables per day and 15 grams of fiber daily, levels similar to national averages but still below recommended intake. Nearly 40% of participants reported experiencing household food insecurity, and about half lived in households earning less than $50,000 per year.
Lead author Rebecca Seguin-Fowler emphasized that the findings do not suggest rural diets are shaped by individual willpower alone.
“Rural adults face elevated risks for diet-related health conditions, yet nutrition behaviors in these communities are shaped by more than just access to food,” she said. “Motivation, confidence and support for healthy eating, along with the local food environment, all play meaningful roles.”
Because the study was cross-sectional, it cannot determine whether higher motivation or stronger social support causes better diet quality, or whether people who eat better feel more confident and supported as a result. Even so, the findings help explain why improving nutrition in rural communities often requires multifaceted approaches that address both individual and environmental factors.
The authors suggest future research should track how changes in motivation, social support and food environments over time influence dietary behavior. Such work could help inform interventions that go beyond improving access alone to support healthier eating patterns in diverse rural communities.
This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health.