How Health Consciousness and Health Literacy Influence Evaluative Responses to Nutrient-Content Claimed Messaging for an Unhealthy Food

Abstract

Guided by the theoretical frameworks of the “health halo effect” and consumer expertise, this research was undertaken to determine how two individual factors, health consciousness and health literacy, differentially influence evaluations of nutrient-content claimed messaging for an unhealthy food (i.e., chocolate) and whether such evaluations are moderated by the reading of the food’s Nutrition Facts Label displaying different serving sizes. The research found that health consciousness positively influenced evaluative responses to unhealthy food messaging, and that the positive influence persisted following the reading of a Nutrition Facts label listing a large quantity of unhealthy ingredients per serving size. In contrast, health literacy negatively influenced perceived healthiness and purchase intention when the nutrition label communicated a higher serving size, indicating that subjective and objective expertise work differently. The results advance understanding of the information processing of nutrient-claimed unhealthy foods, and suggest implications for food marketing communication and public health policy.