Awareness Of Labels Research Articles

An investigation into aspects of energy labelling with special reference to washing machines

The purpose of this research was to investigate whether the performance of domestic washing machines is adversely affected by reduced levels of energy use. This was felt particularly worthwhile because of the introduction of energy labelling for washing machines in April 1996. Results were determined by conducting tests derived from BS EN 60456. This research also aimed to discover consumer awareness of energy labelling and factors likely to influence the future purchase of washing machines. The results indicate that washing performance may be adversely affected by lower levels of energy consumption and that washing machines with a higher energy consumption achieve a better washing performance. From the survey carried out, it was discovered that the most influential factors when purchasing a washing machine were price, washing performance and brand reliability. Environmental factors such as reduced energy consumption and reduced water consumption only played a minor role in consumers' considerations. However, the research indicates that consumers' decisions may, in the future, be affected by the information displayed on energy labels.

Consumer attitudes to nutrition labelling

Research findings have suggested that today’s consumers view nutrition in a positive light. The findings of this survey support such evidence. The majority of consumers consider diet to be a very important component of their lifestyles and regard nutrition as a positive attribute of food products. A high level of awareness of nutrition labelling is evident among consumers, and 58 per cent of respondents use nutrition labels. However, consumers have to deduce information from nutrition labels in their current format. This proves rather difficult as knowledge of a balanced diet is quite low. Therefore, consumers find it difficult to implement current dietary advice through the use of nutrition labels, and only 17 per cent of the sample surveyed use labels for this purpose. Social networks and the “popular” media were found to be the most used sources of nutrition information, the medical profession was seen as a source of “cure” rather than prevention and a negligible percentage of the sample used official government information channels. Concludes that nutrition labels have a role to play; however, the food industry needs to respond to consumer needs and education/information provision needs to be improved.

Longitudinal study of awareness, recall, and acceptance of alcohol warning labels

This research reports the results of a 5-year (1989–1993) longitudinal study on consumer awareness of warning messages on alcoholic beverage containers. Adjusting for false positives, about one-third of respondents in the 1993 survey were “very likely” or “somewhat likely” to believe that alcoholic beverages containers contain warning messages. However, reported awareness has shown only a small increase since 1991. Respondents were also asked to indicate the content of the warning message. Adjusting for false positives, about one-quarter of respondents mentioned either the birth defects or driving warnings. Recall of the birth defects message has shown steady growth, while recall of the driving message has failed to increase since 1991. The rate of learning about alcohol warnings varied by education level; more educated respondents learned about the warnings more quickly than did less educated respondents. Recall was greatest among young and “heavy” consumption segments; about 40 percent of respondents in these two segments recalled at least one of the warning messages.

Using the Department of Motor Vehicles as A Channel for Food Labeling Education and Research

The typical channels selected for nutrition education and research projects are schools, worksites, clinics and health care settings. In order to reach a diverse population in a brief time period, we chose to conduct a food labeling education and research project at the department of motor vehicles on the actual day and the day following license plate tag expirations in the month of March. As part of their National Nutrition Month project, 8 students in our Coordinated Dietetics Program surveyed almost 1000 customers in 2 eight-hour days. In addition to gathering data about food label awareness, usage, understanding, and demographics, the students also provided nutrition education while people waited in line to obtain or renew their licenses or tags. The Department of Motor Vehicles provides a unique opportunity to interact with a large population of wide age ranges, races, educational levels, and income brackets. Because of the long lines typically encountered at certain times of the month, the DMV is an ideal place to reach a large audience in a brief time period. The students, dressed in food label t-shirts bearing the logo “Are You Label-Able? Ask Me!”, provided an interesting distraction for long-line weary customers, most of whom were more than happy to participate in the project just to pass the time! The uniqueness of this project also attracted a great deal of television media attention and promoted university/community health partnerships.

Awareness and Knowledge of Alcohol Beverage Warning Labels among Homeless Persons in Cook County, Illinois

In 1988 Congress passed the Alcohol Beverage Labeling Act, requiring that two specific health warning labels appear on all alcoholic beverage containers sold in the United States after November 1989. The following year, a random sample of 481 homeless persons interviewed in shelters, soup kitchens, drop-in centers, and single room occupancy (SRO) hotels in Cook County, Illinois were asked about their awareness and knowledge of these messages. As a group traditionally considered at high risk for alcohol abuse, the degree to which the newly-mandated warning messages have been communicated to homeless persons has important implications for the success of this public health measure. Findings revealed that age and level of alcohol consumption were each associated with label awareness and content familiarity, suggesting that alcohol beverage warning labels may be reaching homeless persons.

Restaurant Menu Labeling: Impact of Nutrition Information on Entree Sales and Patron Attitudes

This study examined changes in sales of low fat/low cholesterol foods targeted in a restaurant menu labeling program. Sales of labeled items were tracked before and after the program was introduced, and a subsample of patrons were surveyed for information on visibility and comprehension of the menu labels. Two of the four restaurants had significant increases in the sales of targeted foods following labeling. Comparisons between patrons dining in restaurants which had an increase in sales (I--increase restaurants) to those dining in restaurants which had no overall shift in sales (NI--no increase restaurants) revealed no differences in patron awareness or comprehension of the menu labels. There were age and gender differences between I and NI restaurants, with I restaurants having proportionally more males, and a younger clientele. Taste was the primary reason given by patrons for their entree choice, regardless of whether or not it was labeled. In all four restaurants women and older patrons were more aware of the program and more responsive to its recommendations. These findings suggest that environmental strategies may be an effective method of encouraging dietary changes in the general population, but patron characteristics such as age and gender may influence receptivity to this type of intervention. Future studies aimed at developing effective point of purchase education programs should evaluate these patron characteristics and include more powerful behavior change strategies.

Pawtucket Heart Health Program point-of-purchase nutrition education program in supermarkets.

Point-of-purchase nutrition education in supermarkets is one intervention strategy of the Pawtucket Heart Health Program, a community cardiovascular disease prevention program in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Using consumer intercept interviews, awareness of shelf labels and their effect on purchase behavior have been continuously evaluated. Between 1984 and 1988, the percent of shoppers who could identify correct labels increased from 11 percent to 24 percent (95% confidence intervals of difference: 7.17). The percent who reported they were encouraged to purchase the identified foods increased from 36 percent to 54 percent (95% CI of difference: 5.41).

Pitfalls in Labelled Leukocyte Scanning

Radiolabelled leukocyte scanning is a valuable tool in the diagnosis and management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBO). As well as determining the presence or absence of disease and its complications, the degree of inflammation may be quantified either visually or numerically following four day fecal collection. The authors discuss the labelling techniques currently in use and the appearance of IBO using both111Indium and99mTechnetium as the labelling isotope. The advantages and disadvantages of each technique are compared. Certain diagnostic pitfalls and causes of false-positive results including radiation enteritis, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug ingestion and intra- and extra-abdominal sepsis are discussed in full, and it is shown that in most cases good labelling technique, careful imaging and awareness of alternative mechanisms for leukocyte appearance in the gastrointestinal tract will ensure correct interpretation of these scans.

An Evaluation of Consumer Awareness and Use of Energy Labels in the Purchase of Major Appliances: A Longitudinal Analysis

The National Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1978 requires the Federal Trade Commission to mandate labels for appliances indicating their energy consumption. The purposes of this study are to measure the level of awareness of appliance energy labels by recent purchasers of refrigerators and washers, and to measure changes in the degree to which energy considerations entered into the purchase decisions of national samples of consumers before and after introduction of the FTC program.