Development of a Color-Coded Bilingual Food Label for Low-Literacy Latino Caretakers

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop a bilingual, user-friendly food label (UFFL) for low-literacy audiences. The UFFL developed was based on (a) a quantitative and qualitative needs assessment of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) food label understanding and use, (b) the development of a UFFL, and (c) a qualitative evaluation of the UFFL. Subjects consisted of a convenience sample (N = 150) of low-income Latino caretakers living in Hartford with children under 6 years of age, who were recruited from local community agencies.The primary outcomes measured in this study were food label use, knowledge, and understanding. Chi-square analyses were conducted to determine relationships between subjects’ socioeconomic status and demographic characteristics with food label use, knowledge, and understanding. Although 96% of respondents were familiar with the FDA food label, only 30% used it routinely when grocery shopping. FDA food label knowledge was positively associated (p ≤ .05) with younger age, level of education, and being an English speaker. A UFFL was developed that included color coding, bilingual text, and a shaded Food Guide Pyramid. Results indicated that participants found the UFFL easy to understand. The UFFL can be used as a nutrition education tool and the methodology developed may help food policy makers to improve the nutrition education value of the FDA food label.