Examining the Food Label Reading Habits and Attitudes Towards Healthy Nutrition Among Healthcare Professionals: A Cross-Sectional Study

Year 2024, Volume: 3 Issue: 7, 113 - 120, 31.12.2024

Mehmetcan Kemaloglu , Emine Kemaloğlu

https://doi.org/10.56150/tjhsl.1445060

Abstract

Aim: This study was conducted to evaluate the food label reading habits of healthcare professionals and their attitudes towards healthy nutrition.
Material and methods: 198 healthcare professional were included in the study. Data regarding individuals' demographic characteristics, attitudes towards healthy eating (ASHN) and food label reading habits were obtained via an online form.
Results: When the data obtained is examined, the average age of the group is 27.5; It was determined that the average BMI was 23.6 kg/m2. It was determined that the general average of the individuals' ASHN total score was 73.15±10.18 and therefore the group's general attitude towards healthy nutrition was high. When the nutrition food label reading status and ASHN scores were compared, it was determined that the attitude scores towards healthy nutrition of individuals who responded often and always to the habit of reading food labels were higher than those who responded never, rarely or sometimes. It was also found that individuals who had previously received nutrition education had higher ASHN scores compared to those who had not received nutrition education.
Conclusion: As a result of the study, it was determined that there was a weak positive relationship between food label reading habits of healthcare professionals and ASHN scores.

Keywords

Nutrition behavior, food labeling, healthcare professionals

References

• Al-Barqi, R., Al-Salem, Y., Mahrous, L., Abu Abat, E., Al-Quraishi, R., & Benajiba, N. (2020). Understanding barriers towards the use of food labels among Saudi female college students. Malaysian Journal of Nutrition, 26(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31246/mjn-2019-0117
• Taleb, S., & Itani, L. (2021). Nutrition literacy among adolescents and its association with eating habits and BMI in Tripoli, Lebanon. Diseases, 9(2), 25. https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases9020025
• Zhang, J., Zhai, L., Osewe, M., & Liu, A. (2020). Analysis of factors influencing food nutritional labels use in Nanjing, China. Foods, 9(12), 1796. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9121796
• Pekcan, A.G., Şanlıer, N., Baş, M., Acar Tek, N., Gökmen Özel, H. (2022). Türkiye Nutrition Guide (TUBER). T.R. Ministry of Health.
• Moreira, M. J., García‐Díez, J., De Almeida, J. M. M. M., & Saraiva, C. (2019). Evaluation of food labelling usefulness for consumers. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 43(4), 327-334. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12511
• Xazela, N., Chinyamurindi, W. T., & Shava, H. (2019). The relationship between nutrition reading and label use and nutrition knowledge amongst a sample of rural youth studying at a university in South Africa. Health SA Gesondheid, 24. https://doi.org/10.4102/hsag.v24i0.1320
• World Health Organizations (WHO), Basic Documents: 49th edition. (2020). 1–244.
• Hamurcu, P., & Derya, T. (2022). Determining the Level of Eating Awareness in Health Care Workers: The Example of Zeynep Kamil Gynecological and Pediatric Diseases Training and Research Hospital. Western Black Sea Medical Journal, 6(1), 96-105. https://doi.org/10.29058/mjwbs.1030982
• Demir, G. T., Cicioğlu, H. İ. (2019). Attitude Scale towards Healthy Nutrition (ASHN): Validity and reliability study. Gaziantep University Journal of Sports Sciences. 4(2), 256-274. https://doi.org/10.31680/gaunjss.559462
• Bryła, P. (2020). Who reads food labels? Selected predictors of consumer interest in front-of-package and back-of-package labels during and after the purchase. Nutrients, 12(9), 2605.  https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12092605
• Zafar, M. Z., Shi, X., Yang, H., Abbas, J., & Chen, J. (2022). The impact of interpretive packaged food labels on consumer purchase intention: the comparative analysis of efficacy and inefficiency of food labels. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(22), 15098. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192215098
• McNabb, D. E. (2017). Research methods in public administration and nonprofit management. Routledge.
• Dumic, A., Miskulin, M., Pavlovic, N., Orkic, Z., Bilic-Kirin, V., & Miskulin, I. (2018). The nutrition knowledge of Croatian general practitioners. Journal of clinical medicine, 7(7), 178. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm7070178
• Sunguya, B. F., Poudel, K. C., Mlunde, L. B., Urassa, D. P., Yasuoka, J., & Jimba, M. (2013). Nutrition training improves health workers’ nutrition knowledge and competence to manage child undernutrition: a systematic review. Frontiers in public health, 1, 37.https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2013.00037
• Bıçakcı, H,S. (2022). Evaluation of the health perception and nutritional habits of a university hospital medical staff during the COVID 19 pandemic period. Master's thesis, Necmettin Erbakan University Meram Faculty of Medicine.
• Uzdil, Z., Seda, K. (2022). The effect of sleep patterns on the nutritional status of nurses working on duty. Samsun Health Sciences Journal, 7(3), 823-834.
• Güleş, B. (2022). Evaluation of İnönü University Faculty of Medicine students' attitudes towards healthy nutrition, label reading habits and nutritional literacy. Master's thesis, İnönü University Institute of Health Sciences.
• Campos, S., Doxey, J., & Hammond, D. (2011). Nutrition labels on pre-packaged foods: a systematic review. Public health nutrition, 14(8), 1496-1506. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980010003290
• Cha, E., Kim, K. H., Lerner, H. M., Dawkins, C. R., Bello, M. K., Umpierrez, G., & Dunbar, S. B. (2014). Health literacy, self-efficacy, food label use, and diet in young adults. American journal of health behavior, 38(3), 331-339. https://doi.org/10.5993/AJHB.38.3.2
• Correa, T., Fierro, C., Reyes, M., Dillman Carpentier, F. R., Taillie, L. S., & Corvalan, C. (2019). Responses to the Chilean law of food labeling and advertising: exploring knowledge, perceptions and behaviors of mothers of young children. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 16(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-019-0781-x
• Christoph, M. J., An, R., & Ellison, B. (2016). Correlates of nutrition label use among college students and young adults: a review. Public health nutrition, 19(12), 2135-2148. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980015003183
• Mercan, H. (2019). The relationship between label reading habits of healthcare professionals and their nutritional status. Master's thesis, Trakya University Institute of Health Sciences.