Knowledge, Awareness, and Factors Affecting Food Label Use among Caregivers in a Public Elementary School in Los Baños, Philippines
Abstract
The study assessed food label use among mothers and caregivers of school-aged children in a public elementary school and its association with socio-demographic and socio-economic factors, food label knowledge, and awareness. It also explored the motivations, barriers, and difficulties of use. A cross-sectional study of 281 respondents was conducted using a questionnaire and analyzed using Descriptive Statistics, Spearman Correlation, Chi-square Test, Fisher’s Exact Test, and Binary Logistic Regression. Results revealed that most respondents had high awareness (70.5%), moderate knowledge (46.6%), and were users of food labels (92.9%), with 52.87% demonstrating good practices. Commonly read labels were the product name, expiration date, and trademark. Serving size, vitamins/minerals, and sugar were the most consulted nutrition facts. Ingredients, lot identification, dietary fiber, sodium, and % Daily Value (%DV) were the least checked. Label use predictors included packaging design, health consciousness, and interest in food characteristics, while price sensitivity and reliance on advertisements reduced usage. Difficulties in label reading were small fonts, poor layout, and unfamiliar language. Reliance on a trusted seller and familiar foods prevents use. Only age was significantly associated with use, with older individuals being more likely to utilize them (p<0.05). In conclusion, most are users but lack sufficient knowledge for effective use, potentially leading to misinformed decisions and underutilization of food labels. Hence, targeted nutrition education should extend beyond mere label usage to improving knowledge on healthier food choices for their children and maximizing label information. Alongside this, improving access to food label nutrition information, advancing proposed bills, and developing policies that promote food label literacy are recommended to enhance effective use.
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