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This study aims to explore the facilitators that could help to improve the consumption of whole grains in the Malaysian adult population.

A total of 30 individual in-depth interviews were conducted online. Malaysian adults aged a minimum of 18 years old and responsible for grocery shopping and food preparation at home were included in the study. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically.

More than half of the participants were females (63.3%), with a mean age of 39.2 years old, and from urban areas (76.7%). Whole-grain cookbook development was the most commonly mentioned facilitator (100%), followed by cost reduction (86.7%), whole grains education (83.3%), awareness of whole grains (53.3%) and enhanced accessibility and availability of whole grains (63.3%). The least mentioned facilitator was improving product labelling (23.3%), creating a habit/lifestyle that encourages the consumption of whole grains in daily life (23.3%) and peer encouragement (10%).

This study addresses the facilitators that should be emphasised in future nutrition intervention studies. The cookbook was perceived to be an effective facilitator to improve the consumption of whole grains in Malaysia. The researchers anticipate that the study findings may improve whole-grain consumption among the Malaysian population.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper to outline the facilitators to improve the consumption of whole grains amongst Malaysian adults.

The paper aimed to explore the factors leading to lower rates of whole grain consumption amongst the Malaysian adult population according to the Reasoned Action Approach (RAA) model.

This paper employed a qualitative approach to explore the factors that influence whole grain consumption. Individual interviews were conducted online amongst Malaysian adults aged 18 years and above who purchase groceries and are responsible for food preparation at home. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically using the NVivo version 12 software.

A majority of the respondents (N = 30; mean age = 39.2 years old) were females (n = 19, 63.3%) and lived in urban areas (n = 23, 76.7%). Even though over 86.7% of respondents (n = 26) had consumed whole grain products, a majority of them had inadequate knowledge surrounding whole grains (n = 25, 83.3%). Predominant barriers to whole grain consumption were perceived cost (n = 30, 100%), dislikes towards the sensory aspects of whole grain foods (n = 28, 93.3%), inadequate knowledge in identifying whole grains in foods (n = 25, 83.3%), poor awareness (n = 25, 83.3%), lack of knowledge in preparation of whole grain foods (n = 25, 83.3%), a wide variety of other tasty cuisine alternatives in Malaysia (n = 25, 83.3%), low availability and accessibility of whole grain products (n = 18, 60%), cultural eating behaviours (n = 17, 56.7%) and family influence (n = 16, 53.3%). Besides that, having a longer preparation time, restrictive diets and social influences were minor barriers.

This study addresses the barriers that should be highlighted in future health educational interventions, and presents a challenge to the food industry to develop whole grain foods which are easily accepted by consumers.

This is the first paper to outline the factors associated with poor consumption of whole grains amongst the Malaysian adult population.