IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i14p8751-d865741.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Health Literacy and Its Associations with Understanding and Perception of Front-of-Package Nutrition Labels among Higher Education Students

Author

Listed:
  • Axelle Hoge

    (Department of Public Health, University of Liège, 4000 Liege, Belgium)

  • Mathilde Labeye

    (Department of Public Health, University of Liège, 4000 Liege, Belgium)

  • Anne-Françoise Donneau

    (Department of Public Health, University of Liège, 4000 Liege, Belgium
    Biostatistics and Research Method Center, University of Liège, University Hospital of Liège, 4000 Liege, Belgium)

  • Halehsadat Zahraei Nekoee

    (Department of Public Health, University of Liège, 4000 Liege, Belgium
    Biostatistics and Research Method Center, University of Liège, University Hospital of Liège, 4000 Liege, Belgium)

  • Eddy Husson

    (Department of Public Health, University of Liège, 4000 Liege, Belgium
    Biostatistics and Research Method Center, University of Liège, University Hospital of Liège, 4000 Liege, Belgium)

  • Michèle Guillaume

    (Department of Public Health, University of Liège, 4000 Liege, Belgium)

Abstract

(1) Background : Nutrition labels on the front of food packages have increasingly become the focus of research. However, too few studies have placed special emphasis on nutritionally at-risk subpopulations, such as young adults or those with low literacy/numeracy skills. The present study aimed to assess both the perception and objective understanding of three front-of-package labeling (FOPL) formats currently in use on the Belgian market, i.e., the Nutri-Score, Reference Intakes, and Multiple Traffic Lights, among students of varying health literacy (HL) levels. (2) Methods : A web-based survey was carried out among 2295 students of tertiary education in the province of Liège, Belgium. The questionnaire included questions related to general characteristics, objective understanding, and perception in response to the assigned FOPL format and level of HL. (3) Results : With respect to objective understanding, the Nutri-Score outperformed all other labels across all HL levels, and it was similarly understood in students of varying HL levels. Several students’ characteristics appeared to be associated with each cluster of perception, with the Nutri-Score cluster having the highest percentages of disadvantaged students, i.e., those with inadequate HL, from non-university institutions, with low self-estimated nutrition knowledge, and with low self-estimated diet quality. (4) Conclusion : Overall, the findings supported the Nutri-Score as particularly effective in guiding students in their food choices. Of particular importance is the fact that the summarized and graded color-coded nutritional label would be a useful strategy for those disadvantaged by limited HL.

Suggested Citation

  • Axelle Hoge & Mathilde Labeye & Anne-Françoise Donneau & Halehsadat Zahraei Nekoee & Eddy Husson & Michèle Guillaume, 2022. "Health Literacy and Its Associations with Understanding and Perception of Front-of-Package Nutrition Labels among Higher Education Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-19, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:14:p:8751-:d:865741
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/14/8751/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/14/8751/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Seward, M.W. & Block, J.P. & Chatterjee, A., 2016. "A traffic-light label intervention and dietary choices in college cafeterias," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 106(10), pages 1808-1814.
    2. Sam Hernández-Jaña & Tamara Huber-Pérez & Ximena Palma-Leal & Paola Guerrero-Ibacache & Valentina Campos-Nuñez & Juan Pablo Zavala-Crichton & Carlos Jorquera-Aguilera & Kabir P. Sadarangani & Fernando, 2020. "Effect of a Single Nutritional Intervention Previous to a Critical Period of Fat Gain in University Students with Overweight and Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-13, July.
    3. Dolors Juvinyà-Canal & Rosa Suñer-Soler & Adela Boixadós Porquet & Marion Vernay & Hervé Blanchard & Carme Bertran-Noguer, 2020. "Health Literacy among Health and Social Care University Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-10, March.
    4. Lucille Desbouys & Caroline Méjean & Stefaan de Henauw & Katia Castetbon, 2020. "Socio-economic and cultural disparities in diet among adolescents and young adults: a systematic review," Post-Print hal-02279018, HAL.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Dimitris Skalkos & Zoi C. Kalyva & Ioanna S. Kosma, 2023. "The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on College Students’ Food Choice Motives in Greece," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-11, June.
    2. Silvia Lisciani & Emanuela Camilli & Stefania Marconi, 2024. "Enhancing Food and Nutrition Literacy: A Key Strategy for Reducing Food Waste and Improving Diet Quality," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-16, February.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mitja Vrdelja & Sanja Vrbovšek & Vito Klopčič & Kevin Dadaczynski & Orkan Okan, 2021. "Facing the Growing COVID-19 Infodemic: Digital Health Literacy and Information-Seeking Behaviour of University Students in Slovenia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-16, August.
    2. Tetine Sentell & Sandra Vamos & Orkan Okan, 2020. "Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Health Literacy Research Around the World: More Important Than Ever in a Time of COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-13, April.
    3. Henrietta Bánfai-Csonka & Bálint Bánfai & Sára Jeges & József Betlehem, 2022. "Understanding Health Literacy among University Health Science Students of Different Nationalities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-13, September.
    4. Laiou, Elpiniki & Rapti, Iro & Schwarzer, Ralf & Fleig, Lena & Cianferotti, Luisella & Ngo, Joy & Rizos, Evangelos C. & Wetle, Terrie Fox & Kahlmeier, Sonja & Vigilanza, Antonella & Tsilidis, Konstant, 2021. "Review: Nudge interventions to promote healthy diets and physical activity," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    5. Thomas Volken & Annina Zysset & Simone Amendola & Agnes von Wyl & Julia Dratva & on behalf of the HES-C Research Group, 2021. "Generalized Anxiety among Swiss Health Professions and Non-Health Professions Students: An Open Cohort Study over 14 Months in the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(20), pages 1-14, October.
    6. Israa Baker & Nizar Marzouqa & Bashar Nafe’ Yaghi & Samer Osama Adawi & Shahd Yousef & Tayseer Nedal Sabooh & Nataly Mazen Salhab & Hiba Mahmoud Khrishi & Yahya Qabaja & Abanoub Riad & Elham Kateeb & , 2021. "The Impact of Information Sources on COVID-19-Related Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) among University Students: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-18, November.
    7. Defago, Daniel & Geng, José F. & Molina, Oswaldo & Santa María, Diego, 2017. "Digestible information: The impact of Multiple Traffic Light nutritional labeling in a developing country," MPRA Paper 79678, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Rubeena Zakar & Sarosh Iqbal & Muhammad Zakria Zakar & Florian Fischer, 2021. "COVID-19 and Health Information Seeking Behavior: Digital Health Literacy Survey amongst University Students in Pakistan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(8), pages 1-20, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:14:p:8751-:d:865741. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.