Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Nutrition Research Center, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
2
Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
3
Food and Nutrition Policy and Planning Research Department, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute, Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
4
Centre for Intelligent Healthcare, Coventry University, Coventry, UK
5
Department of community nutrition, School of nutrition and food sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
10.30476/ijns.2024.100342.1273
Abstract
Background: Nutrition labeling is a health promotion strategy to improve nutrition information and help consumers make healthier food choices at the point of purchase. This study aimed to assess the association between knowledge of Nutritional Traffic Light Labels (NTLL) and food choices
in Shiraz, Iran.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 418 individuals were randomly selected from chain stores. Nutrition knowledge including general nutrition awareness and NTLL knowledge were assessed by a validated questionnaire. The participants’ purchase patterns were determined based on the color code of NTLL.
Results: Almost half of the participants (48.8%) had high levels of NTLL knowledge. Age of participants (p=0.012) and their level of education (p=0.003) were related to the NTLL knowledge. The findings revealed that males (p=0.037) and participants with a previous disease (p=0.029) had higher food basket score. However, no significant association was
observed between the NTLL knowledge and food basket score.
Conclusion: Despite the relatively good knowledge of participants on NTLL, the efficiency of using the labels was paradoxically low. In addition, having knowledge did not necessarily led to a successful performance in healthy food choices.
Highlights
Nasrin Nasimi (Google Scholar)
Shiva Faghih (Google Scholar)
Keywords
Main Subjects
)