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Consumer Comprehension of the Nutrition Facts Label: A Comparison of the Original and Updated Labels
Purpose: Compare consumers’ overall label comprehension of the original Nutrition Facts (NF) label with the updated label. Design: Online survey conducted in 2019. Participants randomly assigned to original label, updated-single column, or updated-dual column labeling condition and asked to complete...
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Published in: | American journal of health promotion 2021-06, Vol.35 (5), p.648-657 |
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Main Authors: | , , , |
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Subjects: | |
Citations: | Items that this one cites Items that cite this one |
Online Access: | Get full text |
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Summary: | Purpose:
Compare consumers’ overall label comprehension of the original Nutrition Facts (NF) label with the updated label.
Design:
Online survey conducted in 2019. Participants randomly assigned to original label, updated-single column, or updated-dual column labeling condition and asked to complete a series of label comprehension questions.
Setting:
Online survey; participants recruited through Prolific.
Sample:
N = 992 U.S. adults. Sample similar to U.S. population in terms of sex (49.2% female), race (73.3% White/Caucasian), and household size (mean = 2.7 members). However, sample was younger (median age: 29.0), more educated (98.8% high school graduate or higher), and exhibited a lower rate of obesity (22.6% obese) than the U.S. population.
Measures:
Dependent variables: objective (% correct) NF label comprehension. Independent variables: label condition, nutrition knowledge, and socio-demographic variables.
Analysis:
Regression analysis assessed relationships between label condition and label comprehension. Significance level of 5% used for analyses.
Results:
Average score for objective comprehension was 81.4%. The updates did not significantly improve label comprehension. Participants in the updated NF label conditions had trouble answering questions related to total and added sugars.
Conclusions:
Results suggest consumers may struggle to correctly utilize information on the updated NF label, specifically total and added sugars. Consumers may benefit from educational opportunities on using the new label. |
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ISSN: | 0890-1171 2168-6602 |
DOI: | 10.1177/0890117120983128 |