Nutrition labels are a low-cost tool with the potential to encourage healthy eating habits. In a study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, researchers investigated how often young adults use the Nutrition Facts label, the types of information most often used, and how label use related to their dietary intake.
The researchers designed a cross-sectional population-based study of young adults participating in Project Eating and Activity in Teens and Young Adults-IV. Surveys and food frequency questionnaires were completed during 2015–2016 by 1,817 men and women aged 25–36. The researchers used relative risks and adjusted means to examine how demographic, behavior, and weight-related factors were associated with Nutrition Facts panel use, and how label use related to dietary outcomes.
They found that approximately one-third (31.4%) of participants used Nutrition Facts labels “frequently.” Use was significantly higher for women and for those with a higher education and income. In addition, those participants who prepared food regularly and those who were physically active also tended to use the Nutrition Facts label more often. Finally, the researchers found that overweight participants or those trying to lose, gain, or maintain weight used the labels more often.
The label components used most often included sugars (74.1%), total calories (72.9%), serving size (67.9%), and the ingredient list (65.8%). Nutrition Facts label users consumed significantly more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and fewer sugar-sweetened beverages, compared with nonusers. Nutrition Facts label users ate significantly more frequently at sit-down restaurants but less frequently at fast-food restaurants compared with nonusers.
The researchers concluded that “although Nutrition Facts label use was associated with markers of better dietary quality in a population-based sample of young adults, only one-third of participants used labels frequently. Methods to improve label use should be studied, particularly through leveraging weight- or health-related goals (e.g., interest in making healthier food choices), and meeting consumer preferences concerning label content.”