Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-cfpbc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-15T18:15:53.763Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Use of food labels and beliefs about diet–disease relationships among university students

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2007

Shannon C Smith ,
Jeffrey G Taylor  and
Alison M Stephen
Shannon C Smith
Affiliation:
College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, 110 Science Place, Saskatoon, CanadaS7N 5C9
Jeffrey G Taylor
Affiliation:
College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, 110 Science Place, Saskatoon, CanadaS7N 5C9
Alison M Stephen*
Affiliation:
College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, 110 Science Place, Saskatoon, CanadaS7N 5C9
*
*Corresponding author: Email stephen@sask.usask.ca
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Objective

The purpose of this study was to measure the reported use of nutrition information on food labels by a population of university students and to determine if label users differed from non-users in terms of gender and specific beliefs related to label information and diet–disease relationships, specifically fat and heart disease and fibre and cancer.

Design

A single-stage cluster sampling technique was used. Data was obtained using a self-administered, validated questionnaire.

Setting

The present investigation took place at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada in the autumn of 1997.

Subjects

A total of 553 students in randomly selected classes in the College of Arts and Science took part in the survey (92% response rate). The sample consisted of roughly equal numbers of males and females, most between the ages of 18 and 24.

Results

There were approximately equal numbers of label users and non-users among males, while label users outnumbered non-users by almost four to one among females. The importance of nutrition information on food labels was the only belief that differed significantly between label users and non-users for both sexes. For females, no other beliefs distinguished label users from non-users. However, for males, significant differences were found between label users and non-users on the beliefs that nutrition information is truthful and that a relationship between fibre and cancer exists.

Conclusions

Females appear to use food labels more often than do males. The only consistently observed difference between label users and non-users (male and female) was that users believed in the importance of nutrition information on food labels while non-users did not.

Keywords

Food labelsNutritionConsumer beliefs
Type
Research Article
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Volume 3 , Issue 2 , June 2000 , pp. 175 - 182
Copyright
Copyright © CABI Publishing 2000

References

1 Statistics Canada. Age Standardized Mortality Rates by Selected Causes, by Sex [Online]. Available at http://www.statcan.ca/english/Pgdb/People/Health/death.htm. 16 03 1998.Google Scholar
2National Centre for Health Statistics. Report of Final Mortality Statistics, 1995. Monthly Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 45, No. 11, Suppl. 2, Table 7 [Online]. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchswww/fastats/death.htm. 25 04 1998.Google Scholar
3Health and Welfare Canada. Nutrition Recommendations. Ottawa: Minister of Supply and Services, 1990.Google Scholar
4Keystone Centre. The Keystone National Policy Dialogue on Food, Nutrition, and Health. Final Report. Washington, DC: Keystone Centre, 1996.Google Scholar
5Wang, G, Fletcher, SM, Carley, DH. Consumer utilization of food labelling as a source of nutrition information. J. Consumer Aff. 1995; 29, 368–80.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6National Institute of Nutrition. Consumer Use and Understanding of Nutrition Information on Food Package Labels. Ottawa: National Institute of Nutrition, 1992.Google Scholar
7Beggs, L, Hendricks, S, Schwartz, NE, Biro, K.Tracking nutrition trends: Canadians' attitudes, knowledge and behaviours regarding fat, fibre and cholesterol. J. Can. Diet. Assoc. 1993; 54: 21–5.Google Scholar
8Reid, DJ, Conrad, SA, Hendricks, SM. Tracking nutrition trends, 1989–1994: an update on Canadians' attitudes, knowledge and reported actions. Can. J. Public Health 1996; 87: 113–18.Google ScholarPubMed
9National Institute of Nutrition. Tracking Nutrition Trends: 1989–1994–1997. Ottawa: National Institute of Nutrition, 1997.Google Scholar
10Bender, MM, Derby, BM. Prevalence of reading nutrition and ingredient information on food labels among adult Americans: 1982–1988. J. Nutr. Educ. 1992; 24: 292–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11Guthrie, JF, Fox, JJ, Cleveland, LE, Welsh, S.Who uses nutrition labelling, and what effect does label use have on diet quality? J. Nutr. Educ. 1995; 27: 163–72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12American Dietetic Association. 1997 Nutrition Trends Survey [Online]. Available at http://www.eatright.org/press090397e.html. 15 03 1998.Google Scholar
13Huang, Y, Hoerr, S, Song, W.Breakfast is the lowest fat meal for young adult women. J. Nutr. Educ. 1997; 29: 184–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14Fishbein, M, Ajzen, I. Understanding Attitudes and Predicting Social Behaviour. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1980.Google Scholar
15Ajzen, I. Attitudes, Personality and Behavior. Stony Stratford, UK: Open University Press, 1988.Google Scholar
16Schwartz, NE. Nutritional knowledge, attitudes and practices of high school graduates. J. Am. Diet. Assoc. 1975; 66: 28–31.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17Allard, R, Mongeon, M.Associations between knowledge, attitude and behaviour in a junior college population. Can. J. Public Health 1982; 73: 416–19.Google Scholar
18Chery, A, Sabry, JH, Woolcott, DM. Nutrition knowledge and misconceptions of university students: 1971 vs. 1984. J. Nutr. Educ. 1987; 19: 237–41.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
19Seymour, M, Hoerr, SL, Huang, Y.Inappropriate dieting behaviours and related lifestyle factors in young adults: are college students different? J. Nutr. Educ. 1997; 29: 21–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
20Food and Drug Administration. Health and Diet Survey. Washington, DC: Centre for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Consumer Studies Branch, 1995.Google Scholar
21Seashore, RH, Hevner, K.A time-saving device for the construction of attitude scales. J. Soc. Psychol. 1933; 4: 366–72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
22Edwards, A. Techniques of Attitude Scale Construction. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1957.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
23Torgerson, W. Theory and Methods of Scaling. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1958.Google Scholar
24Edwards, A, Kenney, KC. A comparison of the Thurstone and Likert techniques of attitude scale construction. In: Fishbein, M, ed. Readings in Attitude Theory and Measurement. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1967; 249–56.Google Scholar
25Fishbein, M, Ajzen, I. Belief, Attitude, Intention and Behavior: an Introduction to Theory and Research. Philippines: Addison-Wesley, 1975.Google Scholar
26Bryman, A, Cramer, D. Quantitative Data Analysis with SPSS for Windows: a Guide for Social Scientists. New York: Routledge, 1997.Google Scholar
27Schapira, D, Kumar, NB, Lyman, GH, McMillan, SC. The value of current nutrition information. Prev. Med. 1990; 19: 45–53CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
28Reid, DJ, Hendricks, S.Consumer awareness of nutrition information on food package labels. J. Can. Diet. Assoc. 1993; 54: 127–31.Google Scholar
29Food and Consumer Products Manufacturers of Canada. Consumerline Canada. Don Mills, Ontario, 1996.Google Scholar
30Grocery Products Manufacturers of Canada. Grocery Attitudes of Canadians. Don Mills, Ontario, 1995.Google Scholar
31Patterson, RE, Kristal, AR, Lynch, JC, White, E.Diet–cancer related beliefs, knowledge, norms and their relationship to healthful diets. J. Nutr. Educ. 1995; 27: 86–92.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
32Sudman, S. Applied Sampling. New York: Academic Press, 1976.Google Scholar
33Henry, G. Practical Sampling. Applied Social Research Methods Series, Vol. 21. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, 1990.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
34Wilson, T, Hodges, S. Attitudes as temporary constructs. In: Martin, L, Tesser, A, eds. The Construction of Social Judgements. Hillsdale: Lawrence Erlbaum, 1992; 37–61.Google Scholar