Abstract
Background
Non-communicable diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension, can be prevented
and treated through a balanced nutrient-rich diet. Nutrition labels have been recognized
as crucial to preventing obesity and non-communicable diseases through a healthier
diet.
Objective
Our aim was to examine the association between nutrition label use and chronic conditions
(overweight, obesity, previously diagnosed diabetes, and hypertension) among an adult
Mexican population.
Design
This was a cross-sectional study that used data from the Mexican National Health and
Nutrition Survey of 2016 (ENSANUT MC 2016).
Participants/setting
The participants were 5,013 adults aged 20 to 70 years old. Older adults (>70 years),
illiterate participants, pregnant women, and participants with implausible blood pressure
data were excluded from the sample. The survey was conducted from May to August 2016
in the participants’ households.
Main outcome measures
We measured chronic conditions (overweight, obesity, previously diagnosed diabetes,
and hypertension).
Statistical analyses performed
Pearson χ2 test was used to examine the associations among the use of nutrition labels and sociodemographic
characteristics and chronic conditions. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine
the association between nutrition label use and chronic conditions adjusting for the
effect of confounding variables like sex, age, body mass index, education level, marital
status, ethnicity, residence area, region, and socioeconomic status.
Results
From the total sample, 40.9% (95% CI 38.4% to 43.8%) reported using nutrition labeling.
Respondents with overweight or obesity were less likely to use nutrition labels (odds
ratio 0.74; P<0.05). Participants who self-reported diabetes had significantly lower odds of nutrition
label use than participants who did not report to have diabetes (odds ratio 0.66;
P<0.05). Participants having 3 chronic conditions had lower odds of nutrition label
use (odds ratio 0.34; P<0.01) relative to having zero chronic conditions.
Conclusions
This study suggests an association between nutrition label use and chronic conditions
(obesity and diabetes). These findings demonstrate that people with obesity, diabetes,
and a combination of chronic conditions were less likely to use nutrition labels than
people without these conditions.
Keywords
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and DieteticsAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
- Obesity prevalence in Mexico: Impact on health and economic burden.Public Health Nutr. 2014; 17: 233-239
- Diabetes mellitus en México. El estado de la epidemia.Salud Publica Mex. 2013; 55: 129-136
- Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición de Medio Camino.Government of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico2016: 1-154
- Declaratoria de Emergencia Epidemiologica EE-3-2016.Secretaría de Salud, Mexico City, Mexico2016
- Declaratoria de Emergencia Epidemiológica EE-4-2016.Secretaría de Salud, Mexico City, Mexico2016: 1-3
- Global nutrition dynamics: The world is shifting rapidly toward a diet linked with noncommunicable diseases.Am J Clin Nutr. 2006; 84 (289-29)
- Globalization, Diets and Noncommunicable Diseases.World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland2003: 1-185
- Estimating the changes in energy flux that characterize the rise in obesity prevalence.Am J Clin Nutr. 2009; 89: 1723-1728
- Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Advisory Report to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Agriculture.US Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC2015 (Accessed September 2, 2019)
- Epidemiological and nutritional transition in Mexico: Rapid increase of non-communicable chronic diseases and obesity.Public Health Nutr. 2002; 5: 113-122
- Energy contribution of NOVA food groups and sociodemographic determinants of ultra-processed food consumption in the Mexican population.Public Health Nutr. 2017; 21: 87-93
- Ultra-Processed Food and Drink Products in Latin America: Trends, Impact on Obesity, Policy Implications.Pan American Health Organization, Washington, DC2015
- Impact of different front-of-pack nutrition labels on consumer purchasing intentions.Am J Prev Med. 2016; 50: 627-636
- Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases 2013-2020.World Health Organization, Geneva2013
- Impact of food labelling systems on food choices and eating behaviours: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized studies.Obes Rev. 2016; 17: 201-210
- Nutritional labelling for promoting healthier food purchasing and consumption.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011; 9
- Effects of front-of-package and shelf nutrition labeling systems on consumers.Nutr Rev. 2013; 71: 1-14
- Consuming a diet complying with front-of-pack label criteria may reduce cholesterol levels: A modeling study.Eur J Clin Nutr. 2012; 66: 510-516
- Food label use and awareness of nutritional information and recommendations among persons with chronic disease.Am J Clin Nutr. 2009; 90: 1351-1357
- Impact of different food label formats on healthiness evaluation and food choice of consumers: A randomized-controlled study.BMC Public Health. 2009; 9: 184
- Self-reported use of nutrition labels to make food choices is associated with healthier dietary behaviours in adolescents.Public Health Nutr. 2017; 20: 2329-2339
NORMA Oficial Mexicana NOM-051-SCFI/SSA1-2010, Especificaciones generales de etiquetado para alimentos y bebidas no alcohólicas preenvasados-Información comercial y sanitaria. 2010:1-31. http://www.economia-noms.gob.mx/normas/noms/2010/051scfissa1mod.pdf. Accessed September 2, 2019.
- Conocimiento y uso del etiquetado nutrimental de alimentos y bebidas industrializados en México.Salud Publica Mex. 2018; 60
- Food label use and its relation to dietary intake among US adults.J Am Diet Assoc. 2010; 110: 1233-1237
- The association between Nutrition Facts label utilization and comprehension among Latinos in two East Los Angeles neighborhoods.J Acad Nutr Diet. 2014; 114: 1915-1922
- Nutrition knowledge, and use and understanding of nutrition information on food labels among consumers in the UK.Appetite. 2010; 55: 177-189
- Datos de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición 2016, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública.(Accessed September 2, 2019)
- Diseño metodológico de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición de Medio Camino 2016.Salud Publica Mex. 2017; 59: 299-305
- Factors associated with Oklahoma Older Americans Act nutrition program participants ability to shop, cook, and feed themselves.J Nutr Elder. 2006; 25 (Accessed September 2, 2019): 69-82https://doi.org/10.1300/j052v25n02_05
- Nutrition advice in pregnancy.Pract Midwife. 2013; 16: 13-20
- Review of Current Labelling Regulations and Practices for Food and Beverage Targeting Children and Adolescents in Latin America Countries (Mexico, Chile, Costa Rica and Argentina) and Recommendations for Facilitating Consumer United Nations Children's Fund.2016: 655
- Anthropometric Standarization Reference Manual.Human Kinetics, Champlaign, IL1988
- Physical Status: The Use and Interpretation of Anthropometry. Report of a WHO Expert Committee. WHO Technical Report Series 854.World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland1995
- Recommendations for blood pressure measurement in humans and experimental animals.Hypertension. 2005; 45: 142-161
- Clasificación socioeconómica de los hogares en la ensanut 2012.Salud Publica Mex. 2013; 55: 341-346
STATA [computer program]. Version 14.1. College Station, TX: Stata Corp; 2015.
- Nutrition labels on pre-packaged foods: A systematic review.Public Health Nutr. 2011; 14: 1496-1506
- A sex-specific analysis of nutrition label use and health, Douglas County, Nebraska, 2013.Prev Chronic Dis. 2015; 12150167
- Aging: A common driver of chronic diseases and a target for novel interventions.Cell. 2014; 159: 709-713
- Predictors of nutrition label viewing during food purchase decision making: An eye tracking investigation.Public Health Nutr. 2012; 15: 189-197
- Correlates of nutrition label use among college students and young adults: A review.Public Health Nutr. 2015; 19: 1-14
- A review of European research on consumer response to nutrition information on food labels.J Public Health (Bangkok). 2007; 15: 385-399
- The science on front-of-package food labels.Public Health Nutr. 2013; 16: 430-439
- Nutrition labels: A survey of use, understanding and preferences among ethnically diverse shoppers in New Zealand.Public Health Nutr. 2009; 12: 1359-1365
- Perception of front-of-pack labels according to social characteristics, nutritional knowledge and food purchasing habits.Public Health Nutr. 2013; 16: 392-402
- Consumer acceptability and understanding of front-of-pack nutrition labels.J Hum Nutr Diet. 2013; 26: 494-503
- Association of perception of front-of-pack labels with dietary, lifestyle and health characteristics.PLoS One. 2014; 9
- Revisión del etiquetado frontal: Análisis de las Guías Diarias de Alimentación (GDA) y su comprensión por estudiantes de nutrición en México.Inst Nac Salud Publica. 2013; 53: 37
- Understanding and acceptability by Hispanic consumers of four front-of-pack food labels.Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2017; 14: 28
- A qualitative study of consumer perceptions and use of traffic light food labelling in Ecuador.Public Health Nutr. 2016; 387: 1-9
- Warnings as a directive front-of-pack nutrition labelling scheme: Comparison with the Guideline Daily Amount and traffic-light systems.Public Health Nutr. 2017; 20: 2308-2317
- Implementation of the advertising and labelling law in Chile: Early results of impact on food reformulation.Ann Nutr Metab. 2017; 71: 223
- Are front-of-package warning labels more effective at communicating nutrition information than traffic-light labels? A randomized controlled experiment in a Brazilian sample.Nutrients. 2018; 10: 1-15
- Structural responses to the obesity and non-communicable diseases epidemic: The Chilean Law of Food Labeling and Advertising.Obes Rev. 2013; 14: 79-87
- The effects of nutritional labels on obesity.Agric Econ. 2012; 43: 333-342
- Use of the Nutrition Facts label in chronic disease management: Results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.J Am Diet Assoc. 2010; 110: 628-632
- Use of sodium information on the Nutrition Facts label in New York City adults with hypertension.J Acad Nutr Diet. 2015; 115: 278-283
- Obesity and lack of nutrition knowledge in Mexico urban areas.FASEB J. 2014; 28
- Effective access to health care in Mexico.BMC Health Serv Res. 2014; 14: 186
- A cost comparison of more and less nutritious food choices in US supermarkets.Public Health Nutr. 2011; 14: 1693-1699
- Effects of nutrient content claims, sports celebrity endorsements and premium offers on pre-adolescent children’s food preferences: Experimental research.Pediatr Obes. 2014; 9: e47-e57
- The complex scenario of obesity, diabetes and hypertension in the area of influence of primary healthcare facilities in Mexico.PLoS One. 2018; 13: 1-17
- A systematic review of studies on socioeconomic inequalities in dietary intakes associated with weight gain and overweight/obesity conducted among European adults.Obes Rev. 2010; 11: 413-429
- Socioeconomic determinants of dietary patterns in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review.Am J Clin Nutr. 2014; 100: 1520-1531
- Development of a measure of the motives underlying the selection of food: The Food Choice Questionnaire School, London.Appetite. 1995; 25: 267-284
- Consumer understanding and use of nutrition labeling: A systematic review.Public Heal Nutr. 2005; 8: 21-28
- consumer visual processing of food labels: Results from an eye-tracking study.J Sens Stud. 2013; 28: 138-153
- Exploring the roles of motivation and cognition in label-usage using a combined eye-tracking and retrospective think aloud approach.Appetite. 2019; 135: 146-158
- Postura sobre un Sistema de Etiquetado Frontal de Alimentos y Bebidas para México: Una Estrategia para la Toma de Decisiones Saludables.Salud Publica Mex. 2018; 4: 479-486
- Consumption of ultra-processed foods and cancer risk: Results from NutriNet-Sante prospective cohort.BMJ. 2018; 360: 322
- Ultra-processed food consumption and chronic non-communicable diseases-related dietary nutrient profile in the UK (2008–2014).Nutrients. 2018; 10
- Ultra-processed foods and added sugars in the US diet: Evidence from a nationally representative cross-sectional study.BMJ Open. 2016; 6e009892
- Science and politics of nutrition food for thought we should eat freshly cooked meals.BMJ. 2018; : 361
Biography
C. Nieto is a researcher, Research Center of Nutrition and Health, Mexican National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
Biography
L. Tolentino-Mayo is a researcher, Research Center of Nutrition and Health, Mexican National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
Biography
E. Monterrubio-Flores is a researcher, Research Center of Nutrition and Health, Mexican National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
Biography
C. Medina is a researcher, Research Center of Nutrition and Health, Mexican National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
Biography
S. Barquera is director, Research Center of Nutrition and Health, Mexican National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
Biography
S. Rincón-Gallardo Patiño is a researcher, Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg
Biography
R. Aguirre-Hernández is a professor, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
Article info
Publication history
Published online: October 01, 2019
Accepted:
July 22,
2019
Received:
January 9,
2019
Footnotes
STATEMENT OF POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
FUNDING/SUPPORT Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey of 2016 (ENSANUT MC 2016) was funded by the Ministry of Health. This project was made possible by the generosity of Bloomberg Philanthropies, which funded grant 43003.
Identification
Copyright
© 2020 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
