Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T23:17:43.616Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Determinants of Consumers' Use of Nutritional Information on Food Packages

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 April 2015

Rodolfo M. Nayga Jr.
Rodolfo M. Nayga Jr.*
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural Economics and Marketing, Rutgers University
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This study examines how sociodemographic characteristics of a household's main meal planner affect use of nutritional information concerning ingredients, health benefits, calories, sodium, vitamins/minerals, fiber, fat, cholesterol, and sugar content on food packages. Results generally suggest that well-educated, female main meal planners are more likely to use various types of nutritional information than others. Main meal planners who place more importance on nutrition but less importance on taste and those who have a higher perception of the healthfulness of their diet are more likely to use nutritional information on packages than others. Household size, race, employment status, urbanization, region, age, and income are also significant factors.

Keywords

food packagesfood shoppinglabelsnutritional informationsociodemo-graphics
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics , Volume 28 , Issue 2 , December 1996 , pp. 303 - 312
Copyright
Copyright © Southern Agricultural Economics Association 1996

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Beatty, S.E., and Smith, S.M.. “External Search Effort: An Investigation Across Several Product Categories.” J. Consumer Res. 14(1987):83–95.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Becker, G.S.The Economic Approach to Human Behavior. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1977.Google Scholar
Belsley, D.A., Kuh, E., and Welsch, R.E.. Regression Diagnostics: Identifying Influential Data and Sources of Collinearity. New York: Wiley, 1980.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Douglas, S.P. “Cross-National Comparisons and Consumer Stereotypes: A Case Study of Working and Nonworking Wives in the U.S. and France.” J. Consumer Res. 3(1976):12–20.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Food Marketing Institute. Trends: Consumer Attitudes and the Supermarket, 1990. FMI, Washington DC, 1990.Google Scholar
Frazao, E. “The American Diet: Health and Economic Consequences.” USDA Information Bull. No. 711, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington DC, February 1995.Google Scholar
Frazao, E., and Cleveland, L.. “Diet-Health Awareness About Fat and Cholesterol—Only a Start.” Food Rev. 17(1994):15–22.Google Scholar
Grossman, M. “On the Concept of Health Capital and Demand for Health.” J. Polit. Econ. 80(1972):223–55.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guthrie, J., Fox, J., Cleveland, L., and Welsh, S.. “Who Uses Nutrition Labeling and What Effects Does Label Use Have on Diet Quality?” J. Nutrition Education 27,4(1995):163–72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ippolito, P.M., and Mathios, A.D.. “Information, Advertising, and Health Choices: A Study of the Cereal Market.” Rand Econ J. 21(1990):459–80.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Katona, G.C., and Mueller, E.. “A Study of Purchase Decisions.” In Consumer Behavior: The Dynamics of Consumer Reactions, ed., Clark, L.H., pp. 30–87. New York: New York University Press, 1955.Google Scholar
Klopp, P., and McDonald, M.. “Nutrition Labels: An Exploratory Study of Consumer Reasons for Nonuse.” J. Consumer Affairs 15,2(1981):301–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lin, C.T.J. “Demographic and Socioeconomic Influences on the Importance of Food Safety in Food Shopping.” Agr. and Resour. Econ. Rev. 24,2(October 1995):190–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moore, W., and Lehmann, D.. “Individual Differences in Search Behavior for a Nondurable.” J. Consumer Res. 7(1980):296–307.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nayga, R.M. Jr. “Impact of Sociodemographic Factors on Perceived Importance of Nutrition in Food Shopping.” J. Consumer Affairs 31,1(1997): in press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nayga, R.M. Jr., and Capps, O. Jr. “Analysis of Away-from-Home and At-Home Intake of Saturated Fat and Cholesterol.” Rev. Agr. Econ. 16(1994):429–40.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Park, C.W., Iyer, E.S., and Smith, D.C.. “The Effects of Situational Factors on In-Store Grocery Shopping Behavior: The Role of Store Environment and Time Available for Shopping.” J. Consumer Res. 15(1989):422–33.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Putler, D.S., and Frazao, E.. “Consumer Awareness of Diet-Disease Relationships and Dietary Behavior: The Case of Dietary Fat.” J. Agr. Econ. Res. 45(1994):3–17.Google Scholar
Rodgers, A.B., Kessler, L.G., Portnoy, B., and Potosky, A.. ‘“Eat for Health’: A Supermarket Intervention for Nutrition and Cancer Risk Reduction.” Amer. Public J. Health 84(1994):72–76.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schultz, T.W. “The Value of the Ability to Deal with Disequilibria.” J. Econ. Lit. 13(1975):827–46.Google Scholar
Senauer, B., Asp, E., and Kinsey, J.. Food Trends and the Changing Consumer. St. Paul MN: Ea-gan Press, 1991.Google Scholar
Smallwood, D.S., and Blaylock, J.R.. “Fiber: Not Enough of a Good Thing?” Food Rev. 17,1 (January-April 1994):23–29.Google Scholar
Stigler, G. “The Economics of Information.” J. Polit. Econ. 69(1961):213–25.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
U.S. Department of Agriculture. “Continuing Survey of Food Intake by Individuals” (CSFII), and companion “Diet and Health Knowledge Survey” (DHKS). USDA, Washington DC, survey year 1991.Google Scholar
U.S. Department of Agriculture. Nutrition and Your Health: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 3rd ed. USDA Home and Garden Bull. No. 232. Washington DC: Government Printing Office, 1990.Google Scholar
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service. The Surgeon General's Report on Nutrition and Health. DHHS/PHS Pub. No. 88-50210. Washington DC: Government Printing Office, 1994.Google Scholar