Abstract
Rates of diet-related chronic disease combined with the lack of current data on patterns
of food label use by the US population warrant re-examination of the use and potential
influence of this public health tool. The purpose of this study was to describe the
prevalence of food label use and the association between food label use and nutrient
intake in a nationally representative sample of US adults who participated in the
2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Data on food label use
were collected during the interview portion of the survey, and nutrient intake was
estimated using the average of two 24-hour dietary recalls. In this sample, 61.6%
of participants reported using the Nutrition Facts panel, 51.6% looked at the list
of ingredients, 47.2% looked at serving size, and 43.8% reviewed health claims at
least sometimes when deciding to purchase a food product. There were significant differences
(P<0.05) in food label use across all demographic characteristics examined. Significant
differences (P<0.05) in mean nutrient intake of total energy, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol,
sodium, dietary fiber, and sugars were observed between food label users and non-users
with label users reporting healthier nutrient consumption. The greatest differences
observed were for total energy and fat and for use of specific nutrient information
on the food label. Despite food label use being associated with improved dietary factors,
label use alone is not expected to be sufficient in modifying behavior ultimately
leading to improved health outcomes.
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Biography
N. J. Ollberding is a postdoctoral fellow, Cancer Research Center of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI; at the time of the study, he was a doctoral degree student, Program in Nutrition, Department of Health and Behavior Studies, Teacher's College, Columbia, University, New York, NY
Biography
R. L. Wolf is an associate professor of human nutrition on the Ella McCollum Vahlteich Endowment, Department of Health and Behavior Studies, Teacher's College, Columbia University, New York, NY
Biography
I. Contento is Mary Swartz Rose Professor of Nutrition and Education, and coordinator, Program in Nutrition, Department of Health and Behavior Studies, Teacher's College, Columbia University, New York, NY
Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
December 23,
2009
Identification
Copyright
© 2010 American Dietetic Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
