Usefulness, Attitude for Using and Purchase Intention on Food Labeling of Housewives and University Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the usefulness, attitude for using on food labeling such as nutrition labeling, organic food labeling and food additives labeling, and purchase intention in Korean housewives and university students. A total of 320 subjects participated in study from October to November in 2008. They answered to developed questionnaire and 300 subjects (149 housewives, 151 students) completed all questions. The statistical analyses were performed using by SPSS 17.0 package program. The rates of checking the nutrition labeling, organic food labeling and food additives labeling were 57.3%, 57.2% and 63.3%, respectively. Comparing housewives with university students, housewives showed significantly more positive usefulness, attitude for using, purchase intention in some questions about nutrition labeling, organic food labeling and food additives labeling (p < 0.05). Subjects who checked each food labeling on purchasing had more positive usefulness, attitude for using and purchase intention in all questions (p < 0.01). For nutrition labeling and organic food labeling, usefulness (each value of β was 0.362, 0.354) and attitude for using (each value of β was 0.336, 0.301) were independent factors for purchase intention (p < 0.001). For food additives labeling, only usefulness had an effect on purchase intention. In conclusion, usefulness, attitude for using food labeling and purchase intention were different between housewives and university students. Moreover, usefulness and attitude for using food labeling affected positively on purchase intention (Korean J Community Nutr 16(1) : 86~97, 2011)