Reading Food Labels Research Articles

Gambaran Pengetahuan dan Kepatuhan Sivitas Akademika Universitas Al-Azhar Indonesia dalam Membaca Label Pangan

<p><strong>The busyness and lifestyle of modern society today tends to like instant things, including choosing food products. This is because packaged food products are more practical, easy to carry, widely available, and easy to consume. An analysis is needed regarding the level of knowledge and compliance of the community, especially the academic community of University Al-Azhar Indonesia (UAI) in this regard, so that the community can increase knowledge and compliance in reading packaged food labels when consuming or buying a product. The design of this study used a descriptive correlational design with a purposive sampling technique. Respondents in this study were a sample of UAI's still active academicians consisting of lecturers, educators, and students. The number of respondents in this study were 69.5% women and 30.5% men. In terms of age, most were 18-35 years old (93.90%). Respondents get the most source of food label information through online and print media. The priority of respondents when buying packaged food products is mostly choosing the name of the product (41.46%), then paying attention to the halal logo (37.80%). The priority level and respondents' knowledge when buying a packaged food product were mostly in the good category (75.61%). Respondent compliance level is also in good category (48.78%). The results of this study indicate that many respondents, namely UAI academicians, are accustomed to reading food labels when buying a packaged food product.</strong></p><p><strong><em>Keywords</em></strong> – <em>Community</em>, <em>Compliance, Food Label, Knowledge, Overview</em></p>

The effect of orthorexia nervosa on food label reading habits among university students.

This observational cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate university students' food label reading habits with and without orthorexia nervosa (ON) tendency. Data were collected online with a questionnaire. The questionnaire form included sociodemographic variables, the ORTO-11 scale, the reading frequency of some components on the food label, and the evaluation of some opinions about the food label. The obtained data were evaluated with SPSS 25.0 statistical package program and GraphPad Prism program. A total of 674 university students (mean age: 21.03 ± 2.43years), 537 women (79.7%) and 137 men (20.3%) were included in the study. It was determined that individuals with ON tendency read some nutrients, content information, serving size, health information, instructions for use, additives and brand more frequently compared to individuals without ON tendency (p < 0.05). At the same time, it was determined that individuals with ON tendency were more likely to agree with the idea that reading food labels is important for a healthy diet, compared to individuals with normal eating behavior (p < 0.001). The study findings show that individuals with ON tendency have a higher habits of reading food labels compared to individuals with normal eating behavior. To reach a decision on this issue and to determine the diagnostic criteria for ON, future studies should be conducted on different groups and samples with higher participation, as well as studies using different screening tools to determine the tendency for ON. V, Cross-sectional descriptive study.

Assessment of the knowledge, attitudes and practices of Lebanese shoppers towards food labeling: The first steps in the Nutri-score roadmap

Background: Food labeling is a fundamental educational tool for advocating for public awareness. It emphasizes knowledge of the nutrient content of food and thus directs the choice towards the healthiest food products. This cross-sectional survey aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding nutrition label use in Lebanon through a valid questionnaire. Methods: Overall, 768 participants (mean age: 30.8 ±12, males: 60.2%) were recruited randomly between February and May 2020. We used word of mouth and social media to recruit our sample population. Results: Social media was the most accessed tool to attain nutrition information by responders (39.8%). More than half the participants expressed positive attitudes to check information related to sugars (66.4%), vitamins (64.9%), total fats (61.7%), proteins (59.1%), and calories (58.7%) on the food label. Expiry date, price, and brand name were the top three considerations while reading food labels. About half (46.5%) reported to "always" look at the food label. Responders reported reading labels related primarily to sugars (44.3%), calories (38.8%), and total fats (36.8%). The optimal total KAP score was 46; our findings revealed a mean KAP score of 14.46 ±7 (31.4%). When categorizing the KAP scores, 15% had high scores, and 85% scored low. Spearman's coefficients showed positive correlations between knowledge-attitude, knowledge-practice, and attitude-practice scores, with p<0.001. The regression analysis revealed that gender, age, BMI, residency area, educational level, university degree, health and diet statuses, and activity level were significant predictors of the KAP score. Being on a diet had the highest odds (OR=3.107, CI=1.904-5.072, p<0.001). Conclusion: The low awareness of food labels leads Lebanese people to choose unhealthy food options. A planned educational program is recommended to ease the interpretation of these labels.

Awareness and usage of nutrition information and effect of sociodemographic characteristics on various aspects of food labels in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia.

Introduction: labels deliver basic product information, health safety and nutritional information. Objectives: this study aims to assess consumers' knowledge, awareness, and practices in relation to food labels and the effect of sociodemographic characteristics on various aspects of food labels in Al-Ahsa. Methods: a random sampling method was used to recruit participants (n = 403) and a validated electronic questionnaire was used to gather data. Results: most of the participants (81.4 %) had moderate knowledge about general nutrition. The majority of them (58.8 %) placed high importance on reading food labels. Participants have positive opinions about the significance of reading food labels, and practice most of its aspects on a "frequent" basis. Lack of time was the main barrier for not utilizing food label information and obesity was the main concern if they did not read food labels. Results also demonstrate significant (p ≤ 0.01) positive correlations between participants' nutrition knowledge and their rating of the significance and their opinion and practices of reading food labels. Participants' rating of the importance of reading food labels was positively correlated with participants' opinion and practices regarding food label. Results also indicate that participants' sex, age, body mass index, educational level and health status have significant (p ≤ 0.05) effects on various aspects of food label under study. Finally, this study suggests some actions are required to enrich the knowledge, awareness, and practices regarding the food label among Saudi consumers in Al-Ahsa. Conclusion: this study emphasizes the significance of education and awareness initiatives to empower consumers to understand and use nutrition facts labels in order to make healthy dietary choices.

Balanced Nutrition Practiced with Limitations during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Experience of Teachers in Subang District, West Java, Indonesia

The purpose of the study is to assess the knowledge on Balanced Nutrition and its practices among pre-school teachers in Subang district, West Java, Indonesia before and during the COVID-19 pandemic (before March 2020 vs. October 2021) and to seek differences in the knowledge and practices of teachers who attended nutrition training and those who did not attend any nutrition training. We evaluated the knowledge and practice of 142 teachers based on 10 messages of the 2014 Indonesian Balanced Nutrition Guidelines, using google online survey platform. The top three messages mostly selected by the teachers were consuming a variety of staple foods (87%), drinking adequate and safe water (87%), and eating plenty of vegetables and fruits (86%), while the least selected were enjoying a variety of foods (41%) and reading food labels (28%). A slight increase was found in teachers who consumed fruits daily, while the practice of washing hands before and during the pandemic was statistically and significantly increased (58% to 72%; p < 0.05). A slight decrease was found in teachers who consumed vegetables and animal protein, as well as performed physical exercise daily. Majority of teachers (80%) participated in some kinds of nutrition training in the last four years. The top three gaps of knowledge between trained and non-trained teachers were on physical activity and maintaining ideal body weight (64% vs. 33%; statistically significant at p < 0.05); limit intake of sweet, salty, and fatty food; and consuming high protein food, with the range between 20 to 35 percentage points. We concluded that teachers acquired knowledge on nutrition to some degree, but its application faced limitations during the pandemic. Dissemination of Balanced Nutrition should continue.

ÜNİVERSİTE ÖĞRENCİLERİ ARASINDA ORTOREKSİK EĞİLİMLER, SOSYODEMOGRAFİK ÖZELLİKLER VE BESLENME DAVRANIŞLARI

Aim: This study aimed to determine the tendency to orthorexia nervosa (ON) and related factors among university students. Material and Method: The study, designed in the cross-sectional type, was carried out with the participation of a total of 816 students. The Orthorexia Nervosa Scale (ORTO-11) was used to evaluate the tendency for ON, and a structured questionnaire designed in line with the literature was used to evaluate the related factors. Results: The mean score that students got from the ORTO-11 scale was 27.24 ± 3.74. The level of ON was determined to be higher among female students and among individuals who did not consume tobacco products and alcohol, who read food labels on food packages, who often preferred organic food, who did not consume fast-food, or who had regular eating habits (p &amp;lt;0.05 for each category). Conclusions: The students were determined to have a tendency for ON. Determination of obsessional concerns of orthorexic individuals will be useful in the classification of the disease and development of diagnostic criteria.

A Synopsis of the Synopses, 2020–2021

A Synopsis of the Synopses, 2020–2021

Increasing food labelling awareness through a massive open online course (MOOC)

AbstractTo choose a balanced diet, consumers need to understand what is in the food they buy. However, studies indicate that food labels may be misunderstood or not used. Understanding food labels, a massive open online course (MOOC), using concise, factual and engaging information, aimed to increase consumers' awareness around food labelling information. Course engagement and participation were assessed by the end of course feedback, learning metrics and course completion rates. A pre‐ and post‐course survey was integrated into the MOOC to assess changes in food label use frequency and understanding. Furthermore, use and understanding of nutrition labels were explored by text analysis of one of the discussion forums. The initial course run attracted 2046 Joiners, of whom 65% (1320/2046) became Learners, 44% (905/2046) became Active Learners (those who marked at least one step as complete in a course) and 31% (281/905) of Active Learners completed at least 90% of course steps. The number of learners who fully completed the course was 281 of 1320 (21%). Those who completed the MOOC reported reading food labels more frequently at food purchasing (p &lt; 0.05), specifically reading the nutrition information more regularly (p &lt; 0.05) and reading labels more frequently when preparing food at home than before the MOOC. In addition, after completing the course, learners reported that they found food labels easier to understand (p &lt; 0.05) than before undertaking the course. Increasing consumer awareness, understanding and trust of food labelling could help consumers in their ability to make informed and healthier food choices.

Consumer awareness on pre-packaged food labelling information towards the purchase of the pre-packaged food products

This study determined the level of awareness on pre-packaged food labelling information among consumers. A cross-sectional survey design was used to gather information from respondents. Purposively sampling method was used to select the TFDA registered supermarkets, provision shops and other pre-packaged food corner outlets. A systematic randomly sampling was used to interview respondents from the main outlets of the shops. A questionnaire with both close and open ended questions was used to collect information from 150 consumers who were found in the supermarket, provision shops and other pre-packaged food outlets purchasing pre-packaged food products. Descriptive statistics and the chi-square tests of significance were employed to determine the association between variables. The findings revealed that consumers were moderately aware on the use of pre-packaged food labelling information. The findings further revealed some difficulties encountered by consumers while reading food labels include technical language used, small font size when reading food label, unfamiliar language as well as incomplete labelling information. Circumstances in which consumers purchase pre-packaged food without consulting the respective labels include time constraint and purchase of routine food products. The findings revealed that respondents level of education was significantly associated with respondents awareness on the use of pre-packaged food labelling information. The findings further revealed that respondent level of education and their occupation were significantly associated with the importance of using pre-packaged food labelling information. Due to public health concern on human being, it is therefore recommended that deliberate efforts should be taken to use educational activities in order to raise consumer awareness on reading and using of pre-packaged food labelling information prior to purchase.

O9 Coping with COVID-19: A Qualitative Study with Former SNAP-Ed Nutrition Education Participants

<h3>Background</h3> Little is known about the ways in which evidence-based interventions with established behavior outcomes may have prepared participants in coping with changes to shopping, cooking, and eating during the COVID-19 pandemic. <h3>Objective</h3> This project assesses the extent to which participants maintained health behaviors after nutrition education interventions and how program learnings informed strategies to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. <h3>Study Design, Setting, Participants</h3> Using a qualitative case-study approach, participants (n = 41) were recruited at least 6 months post-intervention from 5 Michigan Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) programs. Structured interviews occurred via telephone by 13 trained interviewers in August and September 2020. <h3>Measurable Outcome/Analysis</h3> Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. A 5-person evaluation team collaboratively developed inductive codes, double-coded each interview, and analyzed data using NVivo software. <h3>Results</h3> Based on NVivo theming, participants reported to have learned strategies regarding healthier shopping, cooking, and eating that were maintained after the class. Prominent examples included reading food labels, making food substitutions, incorporating a variety of fruits, vegetables, and leaner meats into meals, and reducing sodium intake. New obstacles to shopping, cooking, and eating were identified by participants amid the pandemic. Common obstacles were shopping routine changes, increased cooking at home, and food access and attainability. Most participants reported that new habits established from classes were not only maintained during the pandemic but helped them deal with changing circumstances caused by the pandemic. <h3>Conclusion</h3> Although nutrition education classes occurred before the pandemic, participants gained knowledge and skills that helped them maintain healthy habits during the pandemic and cope with changes to shopping, cooking, and eating. Results from this study were shared back with SNAP-Ed programs that recruited participants. Findings can help future nutrition education programs identify and incorporate coping strategies into future classes, contributing to sustainable outcomes and better preparing participants for the ongoing pandemic and possible future public health crises.

Examining the Correlates of Adolescent Food and Nutrition Knowledge.

Food literacy is a set of skills and knowledge that are integral to diet. It is common among teenagers to not have basic food literacy skills needed to consume a healthy diet. This study examined: (1) the current state of food and nutrition knowledge among adolescents 13–19 years of age in the census metropolitan area of London, ON, Canada; and (2) correlates of food knowledge and nutrition knowledge among adolescents. Data for this study were drawn from baseline youth and parent survey data collected from a larger population health intervention study. Statistical analysis of the survey data indicates that higher parental education and higher median neighbourhood family income, the use of mobile health applications, liking to cook, as well as confidence in reading and understanding food labels were all consistently associated with increased food and nutrition knowledge. Findings may help guide future research towards optimal methods for delivering food literacy interventions to effectively educate teenagers. Results of this study may help guide policy makers, researchers, and public health professionals in developing appropriate food and nutrition programs and curriculums to combat the decline in food literacy skills.

Food and nutrition literacy status and its correlates in Iranian senior high-school students

BackgroundPlanning interventions to promote food and nutrition literacy (FNL) require a better understanding of the FNL status of the target group and its correlates.AimsThis study aimed to examine the FNL status and its determinants in Iranian senior high-school students.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, FNL and its components (food and nutrition knowledge, functional skills, interactive skills, advocacy, critical analysis of information, and food label reading skill) were evaluated by a locally designed and validated, self-administered questionnaire. Besides, socioeconomic, demographic, anthropometric measures, as well as academic performance of 626 senior high-school students were assessed.ResultsThe mean ± SD of the total FNL score (within potential range of 0 to 100) was 52.1 ± 10.96, which is below the minimum adequate level of 60. The probability of high FNL knowledge score was significantly higher among students who majored in Natural Sciences (OR = 1.73, CI = 1.09–2.75), had better school performance (OR = 1.13, CI = 1.06–1.20) and higher SES score (OR = 1.20, CI = 1.01–1.44). The score for food label reading was significantly lower in girls (OR = 0.45, CI = 0.31–0.67), while those who had a family member with the nutrition-related disease were more likely to have a higher score of food label reading skill (OR = 1.48, CI = 1.01–1.64).ConclusionThe level of FNL in senior high-school students in Tehran was relatively low. These findings have key messages for the education system and curriculum designers to have more consideration for food and nutrition-related knowledge and skills in schools.

Impact of Dietary Counselling on Cardiometabolic Health Outcomes and Dietary Quality in Singapore Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract Objectives Dietary counselling is an effective nutritional strategy for improving dietary quality and cardiometabolic health, but these beneficial effects have not been well studied in older adults, especially in Asia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the impact of dietary counselling on cardiometabolic health outcomes and dietary quality in older Singaporean adults. Methods This was a 12-week, parallel design, randomized controlled trial. Twenty-six women aged above 60 y were randomized where the intervention group received dietary counselling (n = 14) and the control group did not receive dietary counselling (n = 12). Anthropometric measurement, blood pressure, fasting lipid-lipoprotein, glucose and insulin levels were examined at baseline and week 12. The interactive dietary counselling sessions were conducted by a qualified nutritionist every week and each session took 60 minutes. The counselling topics included healthy eating pattern, proper food proportioning, food label reading and several age-related diseases. All participants completed a 3-day food record and the dietary quality was assessed using the Alternative Healthy Eating Index 2010 (AHEI-2010). All results were reported as least square means ± SD. Results A significant decrease in serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol level was detected in the intervention group (3.3 mmol/L ± 1.0 to 3.1 mmol/L ± 0.8, P &amp;lt; 0.05) whereas the control group unchanged (3.8 mmol/L ± 0.6 to 3.7 mmol/L ± 0.7). Moreover, although there was an increase in waist circumference in the control group (76 cm ± 7 to 80 cm ± 6, P &amp;lt; 0.05), no change was observed in the intervention group (76 cm ± 7 to 77 cm ± 9). Other anthropometric and cardiometabolic measurements were not changed after intervention. Both groups showed an increase in dietary quality based on the AHEI-2010 score after intervention however change was only significant in the intervention group (44.0 ± 9.1 to 48.9 ± 8.7, P &amp;lt; 0.05). l group, but a significant time effect was observed (P = 0.009). Conclusions The provision of dietary counselling confers the benefits in the cardiometabolic health outcomes and these benefits may be explained by the improvement in dietary quality in Singaporean older adults. Funding Sources National University of Singapore (NUS), NUS-Mind Science Centre.

Changes in Diet, Lifestyle and Orthorexia Nervosa Attitudes of Vegetarian, Vegan and Omnivorous Individuals in COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, one of the most changing practices of individuals has been the eating habits. This study evaluated the effects of COVID-19 on nutritional habits of vegetarian, vegan and omnivorous individuals.Methods: In a cross-sectional online survey, questions about eating habits, lifestyle behaviours and self-reported anthropometric measurements were assessed using dfferent social media platforms (instagram, twitter, facebook, etc.). A total of 965 people (357 vegetarians, 246 vegans and 362 omnivores) were enrolled.Results: Organic food consumption and food label reading habits of vegan (respectively OR:4.66; 95%CI 1.81-5.9 and OR:4.64; 95%CI 1.13-8.91) and vegaterian (respectively OR:4,66; 95%CI 1.60-7.54 and OR:1.79; 95%CI 1.08-2,97) individuals in the COVID-19 pandemic significantly increased compared to omnivores. While the physical activity duration of individuals in all groups decreased at a high rate, the most significant change was observed in the vegan group. Body weight increased mostly in the omnivorous group. Those in the vegetarian group had the least change in screen time, body weight and sleep time. With the COVID-19 pandemic, orthorexia nervosa (ON) score of vegetarians (-1.0±2.9), vegans (-1.6±3.09) and omnivores (-1.4±3.0) decreased significantly.Conclusion: With the COVID-19 pandemic, physical activity duration and ON score decreased in each group. More than one third of the individuals in each group stated that their body weight increased. Considering the nutritional sensitivity of vegetarian and vegan individuals, it is recommended that the nutritional and physical activity recommendationsgiven during the COVID-19 pandemic to be increased.

Abstract P139: The Impact Of Inpatient Diet Orders On Patient Nutrition And Dietary Behaviors Post Discharge

Introduction: Suboptimal nutrition is a known contributor to the development of cardiovascular disease. In the past decade, focus has been on improving the quality of hospital food with nutrition and policy science initiating programs, e.g. Healthy Food in Health Care. Little has been studied on the impact of these improvements on diet choices after discharge. To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate if inpatient diet orders play a role in nutrition after discharge. Methods: Patients ≥18 years of age admitted to the medicine service with either a regular or cardiac diet order were recruited. Exclusion criteria were the following dietary parameters—fluid restriction, low potassium, diabetic, gluten free, or vegan diets. Patients were given a baseline questionnaire using a Lickert scale to assess dietary behaviors, nutrition counseling during admission, and demographics. One month post-discharge, a follow-up questionnaire was given to reassess their dietary choices. Results: In this preliminary analysis, 70 subjects were enrolled: 57.1% (n= 40) regular diet and 42.0% (n=30) cardiac diet. 38.6% (n=27) believed diet orders during admission were part of the their medical treatment. At follow-up, 55 patients remained and included in the final analysis. 50 with identifiable subject IDs: 57.4% (n= 27) regular diet and 42.5% (n=20) cardiac diet. 15 were lost to follow up: 1 deceased, 2 declined to participate, 2 were readmitted to the hospital, and the remaining were not reachable. Diet was reported as always important to overall health 50.0% (n=35) at baseline vs 72.7% (n=40, p= 0.642) at follow up. 22.8% (n=16) of subjects stated never reading nutrition labels in comparison to follow-up 12.7% (n=7, p= 0.019). Never monitoring salt intake was reported among 23.6% (n=9) patients at baseline and 12.7% at follow-up (n=6, p=0.043). Subjects reported that nutrition education was never received during their inpatient or outpatient follow up period (30% (n=21) vs 76.3% (n=42), p=0.0002). Conclusions: To-date, our pilot study shows inpatient diet orders having the potential to influence dietary behaviors with significant changes in food label reading and monitoring salt intake after discharge. Nutrition education was significantly never given in both inpatient and outpatient settings. However, most patients believe nutrition is important to their overall health, further supporting receptivity to nutrition education during inpatient and outpatient follow-up education.

Food Neophobia among Adults: Differences in Dietary Patterns, Food Choice Motives, and Food Labels Reading in Poles.

Food neophobia (FN) is associated with reduced quality of diet in adults; thus, the understanding of the relationship between FN and food consumption in more depth appears to be a key issue. The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between food neophobia, dietary patterns, food choice motives, and food label reading in the group of adults. Data were collected using the computer-assisted personal interviewing technique (CAPI). A cross-sectional quantitative survey was carried out in November–December 2017 in a sample of 1017 Polish adults. The questionnaire used in the study included the Food Neophobia Scale (FNS), the Beliefs and Eating Habits Questionnaire (KomPAN), and questions regarding food choice motives, reading food labels, and sociodemographic characteristics. The food neophobics were older, had a lower level of education, and had higher BMI compared to others. Compared to others, among the food neophobics, there were more people who often consumed vegetables, fruit, meat, and meat products and who rarely consumed functional and convenience food, sweets, and sweetened beverages. When choosing food, more food neophobics chose healthy and tasteless food products, while more food neophilics chose unhealthy and tasty products. More food neophobics declared not reading price and shelf-life information on food labels compared to the other two groups. Although food neophobia may make adaptation to dietary recommendations difficult, health-promoting features of the diet were observed within the food neophobics. Actions focusing on food choice motives may help even more to limit the effects of food neophobia in adults. Further research is recommended to confirm the observed relationships under different sociocultural conditions.

Monitoring of gluten in meat and fish products

The global market of special foods has grown by 75 % in 2003–2008, that indicating a trend towards individualized diets and healthy lifestyles. Gluten-free foods are popular today due to the increase in the number of people with celiac disease and the general idea of healthy lifestyle. Thus, the production of such products increases due to the intensification of marketing activities. Because the only treatment for celiac disease is a lifelong gluten-free diet, people with this problem need to carefully read food labels for wheat, barley and rye, as well as so-called “hidden” gluten – barley-made malt and hydrolyzed vegetable protein (often contains wheat), as well as to exclude from the diet foods containing these cereals and select alternative foods for full life. However, given the number of people with individual gluten intolerance in Ukraine, the difficult economic situation and the high cost of gluten-free products, not every consumer with this problem can afford to buy certified specialized products labeled “gluten-free”. The aim of the research was to evaluate meat and fish products for gluten content. The article presents information of the results of monitoring gluten in meat and fish products (sausages, canned fish) from different regions of Ukraine by molecular genetic method for 2018–2020 using R-Biopharm diagnostic kits. According to the results of research, fish products that were not labeled “gluten-free” and were not certified as “gluten-free” met the requirements of current legislation of Ukraine and EU Regulation № 41/2009 on gluten-free products. Gluten was not detected in 29.4 % of meat products of various producers; 58.8 % of meat products contained gluten in trace amounts – less than 2 mg/kg; and 11.8 % of meat products contained gluten – more than 20 mg/kg. Prospects for further research are to monitor gluten in sweets and dietary products of domestic production and analyze the results of research on compliance with current legislation and safety for people with individual intolerance to gluten.

Determinants of Israeli consumers\u2019 decision to use food label information more frequently: a national survey study

BackgroundFood labeling to encourage healthier food choices may have positive long-term effects. Yet previous studies point to challenges in terms of how consumers understand and use labeling information. The current study seeks to determine how psychological factors related to health and nutrition, food label perceptions, nutrition habits and sociodemographic factors are associated with consumers’ decisions to seek and use the information on nutrition food labels more frequently.MethodsThe survey was conducted by a polling company in Israel between November 11 and December 12, 2019. Participants comprised a representative sample of the adult population in Israel age 21 and over. A total of 513 people returned the completed questionnaires, which included the following parts: personal details; frequency of searching for information on food product labels; perceived health risks of foods high in sodium, sugar and saturated fats; Health Belief Model constructs related to food labeling. The statistical analysis entailed ordinal logistics regressions.ResultsWhile 59.3% of the sample reported that the information on food labels often or always affects their decision to purchase a food product, more than 20% reported often or always consuming products that are high in sugar (32.0%), saturated fats (31.3%) and salt (20.4%). The results of the analytical model show the following HBM variables to be significantly associated with frequency of using information on food labels: higher levels of perceived benefit (OR = 1.72, CI 95% = 1.12–2.64); higher confidence in reading and understanding food labels (OR = 2.48, CI 95% = 1.62–3.78); and higher perceptions of the importance of nutrition (OR = 2.76, CI 95% =1.97–3.87). In addition, women and married people were found to use food label information more frequently.ConclusionsGeneral public information campaigns and HMOs campaigns with messages to motivate the use of food labels should emphasize the benefits of using labels to select food products. These messages should aim at increasing individuals’ perceived confidence in understanding the information on nutrition labels. The recent front-of-package labeling reform could be an important policy step for achieving healthier nutrition.

Accentuating the Interrelation between Consumer Intention and Healthy Packaged Food Selection during COVID-19: A Case Study of Pakistan.

This study contemplates the factors that influence consumer intention, before and during the eruption of COVID-19, for the selection of healthy packaged food in Pakistan. The extant studies have identified two distinct attitudes of consumers about food label information: one is its usefulness and the second elucidates the avoidance. Hence forth, the current study contributes to the extant literature while signifying both reasons which motivate consumers to read food labels and reasons which discourage consumers from consult food labels at the point of purchase. Moreover, the impact of subjective norms and self-efficacy for healthy packaged food intentions has also been examined for both before the emergence of COVID-19 and during the spread of COVID-19. The underpinning of the proposed model has been justified by the behavioral reasoning theory. The cross-sectional data of 14,455 students has was collected from 10 universities through Microsoft Teams and Zoom. AMOS 21 was employed for the final analysis. The results indicate that before COVID-19 the subjective norms and self-efficacy were not the stimulating factors for the selection of healthy packaged food. On the contrary, during the COVID-19 outbreak, the subjective norms and self-efficacy divulged a significant effect. Moreover, the reasons to consult food labels are positively significant whereas the reasons to avoid food labels have negatively affected the consumer, both before COVID-19 and during COVID-19 outbreak, while endorsing healthy packaged food. Conclusively, COVID-19 has been proved to be a deterrent for unhealthy packaged food lovers while being a blessing for healthy packaged food.

Trends in the adherence to the Mediterranean diet in Israeli adolescents: results from two national health and nutrition surveys, 2003 and 2016.

To compare the adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) in Israeli adolescents in 2003-4 and in 2015-6, and associated factors. Adolescents (aged 11-19years) from two cross-sectional, school-based, nationally representative surveys, Mabat Youth I (2003-4, n 5005) and II (2015-6, n 3906), completed self-administered questionnaires on food frequency, eating behaviors and lifestyle. The Mediterranean Diet Quality Index for Children and Adolescents (KIDMED index), derived from these questionnaires, was used; higher scores indicate better diet quality. The samples comprised eight subgroups, according to population group (Jews/Arabs), school level (middle/high) and sex. The percentages with poor, average and good KIDMED scores were 11.6, 45.3 and 43.1% in 2015-6, compared to 25.5, 55.2 and 19.3%, respectively, in 2003-4. Significant improvement was seen in all subgroups (all p < 0.001), and was attributed to increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, cereals, dairy products, and decreased negative eating behaviors. In Mabat Youth II, physical activity at least 1h/day was positively associated with good KIDMED scores among Jewish adolescents; dieting and sleeping at least 7h/day were associated with good MD adherence in Jewish boys; always/often reading food labels predicted good MD adherence among Jewish boys and Arab girls. Overweight and obesity were negatively associated with better KIDMED scores in Jewish boys. MD adherence in Israeli adolescents has improved overall. The changes in MD components and the associated behavioral factors indicate the initiatives, relevant to the different subgroups, that are necessary to promote healthier nutrition and lifestyles.