Use of Nutrition Facts Panels Among Adults Who Make Household Food Purchasing Decisions

Objective: To identify sociodemographic variables and beliefs about the causes of obesity associated with reported use of Nutrition Facts panel (NFP) information.

Design/setting: Nationally representative, cross-sectional survey of 1139 adults. Data collection employed a single-stage, equal-probability sampling design with random-digit dialing across 50 states and the District of Columbia. Analysis sample consisted of 390 adults living with one or more children who reported making food purchasing decisions.

Main Outcome Measure: Respondents provided self-reported information on their use of NFP information when making food purchasing decisions for their household.

Analysis: Chi-square and analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests compared the analysis sample to the broader population. Logistic regression analyses identified the sociodemographic and beliefs about obesity variables related to NFP use.

Results: Fifty-three percent of the sample reported using NFP information on a consistent basis. Females, those with more education, and those currently married were more likely to use NFP labels. The importance of knowledge in order to maintain healthy body weight was the only belief variable associated with use of NFP information.

Implications For Research And Practice: Nutrition educators interested in changing dietary behaviors should begin by identifying levels of nutritional literacy and beliefs about the importance of nutrition to motivate use of NFP labels.