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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 [email protected]
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Abstract

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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

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