Abstract
The authors propose a conceptual model of the use of nutrition labels and on-package claims. Knowledge, perceived diet effectiveness, health status, and skepticism toward claims are all hypothesized to be significant in explaining the use of package claims and nutrition labels. Results from a preliminary investigation of the relationships among these constructs show that a person's perception of how effective diet is in the fight against disease is related positively to the use of nutrition panel information and package claims. In addition, diet-disease knowledge is related positively to the use of package nutrition information in the forms of both package claims and panel information. Finally, being at risk for a diet-related disease is related positively to knowledge about the dietary links to the disease. The authors discuss policy implications of these findings.
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