Attitudes and Understanding of Sodium Claims on Food Labels

NCT01764724 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 201103SOK-01
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 987
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Sodium-related claims on food labels should help people find lower sodium food choices; however consumer attitudes and understanding of such claims are unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate: 1) the attitudes and understanding to different types of permitted sodium claims and 2) the effect of hypertension on responses to such claims.

Conditions

Hypertension

Keywords

Attitudes and understanding of sodium claims; General canadian population

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Response to survey questions measuring attitudes towards sodium claims using 5 point likert rating scales

  Within an online survey, participants were exposed to 4 mock soup packages that differed only by the claim it carried. After being exposed to each mock package, participants were asked to rate their perceived attractiveness, healthiness, credibility, usefulness of the tested sodium claims using 5 point likert scales. Participants were also asked to rate their purchasing intentions of the mock soup product with the different sodium claims.

  On average the survey took 25 minutes to complete

• Response to survey questions evaluating participants understanding of sodium claims

  After each mock package, understanding of sodium claims was evaluated using various survey methods. First, participants were asked to rate their perceived clarity of the wording of the claim using a 5 point likert scale (a subjective measure of understanding). Second, participants were ask to rate, on 5 point likert scales, the perceived benefit of consuming the mock package for subgroups with different health conditions (an indirect measure of understanding). Finally we asked participants, in an open ended question, to explain what a claim means to a friend (an objective measure of understanding).

  On average the survey took 25 minutes to complete

Study Arms (1)

Canadian Consumer Monitor Panel

Canadian Consumer Monitor Panel is a online consumer monitor panel which answers surveys every 8-10 weeks about diet and health.

Behavioral: Mock package questionnaire

Interventions

Mock package questionnaire BEHAVIORAL

Within a online questionnaire we exposed participants randomly to 4 mock packages differing only by the nutrition claim it carried and asked participants to answer several questions on attitudes and understanding after each mock package.

Canadian Consumer Monitor Panel

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 20 Years - 69 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

A subsection of the Canadian Consumer Monitor Panel - a national representative online consumer panel comprised of 30,000 Canadians

You may qualify if:

• Primary grocery shoppers
• Canadian adults between the ages 20 to 69 years

You may not qualify if:

• Did not have an email address or have access to internet

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Toronto: lead
• Advance Foods and Materials Network: collaborator
• Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR): collaborator
• Canadian Stroke Network: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University of Guelph

Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Wong CL, Arcand J, Mendoza J, Henson SJ, Qi Y, Lou W, L'Abbe MR. Consumer attitudes and understanding of low-sodium claims on food: an analysis of healthy and hypertensive individuals. Am J Clin Nutr. 2013 Jun;97(6):1288-98. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.112.052910. Epub 2013 Apr 10.

  PMID: 23576050 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Hypertension; Behavior

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Vascular Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases

Study Officials

• Mary R L'Abbé, PhD

  University of Toronto

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: ECOLOGIC OR COMMUNITY
• Time Perspective: CROSS SECTIONAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Earle W. McHenry Professor, and Chair, Department of Nutritional Sciences

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 3, 2013
• First Posted: January 10, 2013
• Study Start: September 1, 2011
• Primary Completion: October 1, 2011
• Study Completion: October 1, 2011
• Last Updated: January 10, 2013

Record last verified: 2013-01

Locations

CA (1)