Department of Economy and Administration, Universidad Católica del Maule, 3460000 Talca, Chile.
Faculty of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, Sci & Technol Bioresource Nucl BIOREN UFRO, Universidad de La Frontera, 4780000 Temuco, Chile.
Nutrients. 2020 Sep 29;12(10):2987. doi: 10.3390/nu12102987.
Nutritional Warning Labels (NWLs) inform consumers about processed foods that exceed critical nutrient levels activating the risk perception in consumers. However, this information is limited. The objective was to identify the dimensions of risk perception and to study their associations with avoidance of buying processed foods with warning labels. A survey was applied to 807 decision-makers who choose what to eat at home. The four dimensions of risk perception (performance, financial, physical, and psychological) were identified through exploratory factor analysis. Through a multiple regression model, we determined the dimensions of risk perception and sociodemographic variables that affect the intention to avoid buying processed foods with NWLs. The results show that the performance risk, physical risk, and psychological risk positively affect the intention of avoiding processed foods with NWLs. In addition, the female gender considers NWLs to purchase foods. Nevertheless, the high frequency of consumption and belonging to a lower-income socioeconomic group are barriers to the use of NWLs. In conclusion, NWLs help people to choose processed food that does not impact negatively their food expectations, as well as their mental and physical health. However, health authorities must invest in nutrition education. Specifically, in groups who pay less attention to NWLs. Such groups include people with high daily consumption of processed foods, males, and low-income socioeconomic groups.
营养警示标签（NWLs）告知消费者加工食品超过临界营养水平，从而激活消费者的风险感知。然而，这些信息是有限的。本研究旨在确定风险感知的维度，并研究其与避免购买贴有警示标签的加工食品的关系。我们对 807 名在家中选择食物的决策者进行了一项调查。通过探索性因子分析，确定了风险感知的四个维度（表现、财务、身体和心理）。通过多元回归模型，我们确定了风险感知维度和社会人口统计学变量，这些变量影响避免购买贴有 NWLs 的加工食品的意图。结果表明，表现风险、身体风险和心理风险会正面影响避免购买贴有 NWLs 的加工食品的意图。此外，女性更倾向于购买贴有 NWLs 的食品。然而，消费频率高和属于低收入社会经济群体是阻碍使用 NWLs 的因素。总之，NWLs 有助于人们选择不会对其食物期望以及身心健康产生负面影响的加工食品。然而，卫生当局必须投资于营养教育。具体来说，应针对那些不太关注 NWLs 的群体，如那些每天大量食用加工食品的人、男性和低收入社会经济群体。
