Study on knowledge,attitudes and use of the pre-packaged food nutrition labeling in Hangzhou supermarket consumers in 2010 / 中华流行病学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To study the prevalence rates of knowledge,attitudes and use of the nutrition labeling and related influential factors in Hangzhou supermarket consumers.Methods Using a self-developed survey questionnaire,randomly selected customers were conducted a face-toface interview program in a large supermarket of Hangzhou city.Results 586 people were interviewed,including 202 males and 384 females,with the mean age as 41.6±17.23 years.The Facts Labels'were as followsdietary fiber(71.84%),fat(70.99%),calcium(60.75%),salt (58.36%),energy(50.85%)and sugar(39.42%).The support rates of the three attitudes indicators were"support marking the Nutrition Facts Label"(90.44%)."support marking the nutrition claims"(87.03%)and"want to know more relative knowledge"(77.13%).There were 58.36% and 80.03%first-time buyers who would read the Nutrition Facts Food Labels and the Nutrition Claims.Through logistic model analysis,male,youth,low-educated people were found to be the risk factors related to the nutrition label reading behavior.Conclusion The capacity of the reading,understanding and correct application of nutrition labeling among consumers was not satisfactory.Improvement on the readability and the authority of nutrition labeling and the development of the national nutrition knowledge and health education programs were in urgent needs.