Socio-demographic and lifestyle factors associated with nutrition label use among Malaysian adults

Abstract

Purpose – Nutrition labels bridge communication between food manufacturers and consumers and are instrumental in shaping food choices and dietary habits. Gaining insight into the factors associated with nutrition label use precedes evaluating the effectiveness of these labels. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the socio-demographic and lifestyle factors associated with nutrition label use among multi-ethnic Malaysian adults. Design/methodology/approach – Data from the Third National Health and Morbidity Survey (n=39,506) on nutrition label use was analysed. Logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the factors associated with reading nutrition labels, adjusted for confounders. Findings – The findings show that females, young adults aged between 18 and 30 years, Malays, tertiary educated, singles, employed individuals, physically active adults and non-smokers were significantly associated with increased odds of nutrition label use. Research limitations/implications – Causality could not be established due to the cross-sectional study design. The scope of the data collected limited investigations to the socio-demographic and lifestyle factors associated with nutrition label use. Future research measuring consumers’ attention, motivation and comprehension of nutrition label use and subsequent food selection should be conducted. Practical implications – Health promotion efforts targeted towards promoting the use of nutrition label among males, older adults aged between 31 and 40 years, ethnic minorities, primary educated, widowed/divorced individuals, unemployed, physically inactive and smokers are recommended. Originality/value – This nationwide study provides valuable insights into the socio-demographic and lifestyle factors significantly associated with nutrition label use among Malaysian adults.