Nutrition Labeling Program to Promote Healthy Dietary Patterns

A University Canteen-based Labeling Program to Promote Healthy Dietary Patterns

This study aims to evaluate a nutrition labelling program in improving university canteen customers' dietary pattern and behavioural determinants (e.g. knowledge).

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Diet; Nutrition
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: nutrition label

Detailed Description

The increase in diet related diseases worldwide is considered to be primarily caused by a changing environment encouraging high energy intakes and a sedentary lifestyle. Examples of important environmental factors are the changing nature of the food supply, the changing socio-demographic structure of the population, the lack of nutrition information and the increasing reliance on foods consumed away from home. This evolution has driven the development of measures to encourage more healthy eating patterns. Nutrition labelling is one of those measures. Since adults and students spend approximately half their waking hours at the workplace or university, the work or study environment is believed to be an appropriate setting to assess and try to change individuals' dietary behaviour. This study aims to evaluate a nutrition labelling program in improving university canteen customers' dietary pattern and behavioural determinants (e.g. knowledge).

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 474
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Belgium
  • Ghent, Belgium
    • University Ghent

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 17 years to 35 years (Child, Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• university students and staff
• frequent university canteen customers
• willing to participate

Exclusion Criteria:

• non-frequent university canteen customers

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: implemented nutrition label; A one-group pre-/post-design is used for the evaluation of the university canteen-based nutrition labeling program. This means that all participants of the program are exposed to the nutrition label implemented in the university canteen. The subject essentially serves as its own control based on pre-test behaviour. The nutrition label implemented is a star rating label calculated and assigned to each meal offered at the university canteens and based on the content of energy, saturated fat, sodium and fibre (expressed as vegetable portion).

Other: nutrition label

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
pre-label behavioural determinants of nutrition	Behavioural determinants of nutrition by means of quantitative questionnaire at pre-labeling implementation phase (at 1 month).	at 1 month
pre-label nutrition information processing characteristics	Nutrition information processing by means of quantitative questionnaire at pre-labeling implementation phase (at 1 month).	at 1 month
post-label behavioural determinants of nutrition	Behavioural determinants of nutrition by means of quantitative questionnaire at post-labeling implementation phase (at 6 months).	at 6 months
post-label nutrition information processing characteristics	Nutrition information processing by means of quantitative questionnaire at post-labeling implementation phase (at 6 months).	at 6 months
pre-label food intake records	Food intake by 3-day food records at pre-labeling implementation phase (at 1 month).	at 1 month
post-label food intake records	Food intake by 3-day food records at post-labeling implementation phase (at 6 months).	at 6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
socio-demographic questionnaire	Socio-demographical questionnaire at pre-labeling implementation phase (at 1 month).	at 1 month
pre-label physical activity registration	Physical activity by 3-day physical activity registrations at pre-labeling implementation phase (at 1 month).	at 1 month
post-label physical activity registration	Physical activity by 3-day physical activity registrations at post-labeling implementation phase (at 6 months).	at 6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University Ghent
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Wim Verbeke, PhD, Prof, University Ghent

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Hoefkens C, Pieniak Z, Van Camp J, Verbeke W. Explaining the effects of a point-of-purchase nutrition-information intervention in university canteens: a structural equation modelling analysis. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2012 Sep 11;9:111. doi: 10.1186/1479-5868-9-111.
• Hoefkens C, Lachat C, Kolsteren P, Van Camp J, Verbeke W. Posting point-of-purchase nutrition information in university canteens does not influence meal choice and nutrient intake. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 Aug;94(2):562-70. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.111.013417. Epub 2011 Jun 15.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: October 1, 2008
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 1, 2009
• Study Completion (Actual): May 1, 2009

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 25, 2010
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 26, 2010
• First Posted (Estimate): November 29, 2010

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): December 22, 2010
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 21, 2010
• Last Verified: December 1, 2010

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: EC/2008/482