THE MODAL SALIENT BEHAVIORAL, NORMATIVE AND CONTROL BELIEFS ABOUT NUTRITIONAL CLAIMS ON PREPACKAGE FOOD PRODUCTS

• Published in: Annals of nutrition and metabolism 2017-10, Vol.71 (Suppl. 2), p.1317
• Main Authors: Medeiros, Caroline Opolski, Fraiz, Gabriela Macedo, Bertin, Renata Labronici, Fiori, Lize Stangarlin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Consumers; Content analysis; Decision making; Decisions; Food; Food labeling; Food products; Messages; Nutrition; Nutrition education; Qualitative research; Recorders; Students; Transcription
• ISSN: 0250-6807; 1421-9697
• DOI: 10.1159/000480486

Background and objectives: Consumers make purchasing decisions very quickly, so, brief messages, related to nutritional content, printed on food product labels can stimulate their decisions. These messages are known as nutritional claims. There are few studies that evaluate the use of nutritional claims in the moment of food purchase and the consumer beliefs. This study identified the modal salient beliefs about the use of nutritional claims on prepackage food products among nutrition students. Methods: The exploratory qualitative research were conducted with 13 nutrition students in November 2015, considering the Theory of Planned Behavior. A focus group was used to identify consumers' salient beliefs. The discussion was recorded with two recorders and data transcription was then conducted to allow content analysis of the focus group, by two independent evaluators. Modal salient beliefs were considered those mentioned at least, 75% of the total number of citations. Results: All students were single and female with an average age of 20.2 ± 1.2 years. Two modal salient behavioral beliefs were identified and considered as a disadvantage of using food label: "products are more expensive to have these nutritional claims" and "nutrition content are not specific as it should be". Considering the modal salient control beliefs, most nutrition students did not mention factors that facilitate or impede them at the purchasing moment. However, one student mentioned the "facility in accessing the nutritional claim" as a factor that facilitates the use of nutritional claims in the moment of food purchase. In regard of modal salient normative beliefs, only one belief was identified: "food product producers". Prepackage food producers were mentioned as the people who would approve the use of nutritional claims since it could help consumers to buy their products. Conclusions: Six modal salient beliefs were identified. They are important to explain the participant's behavior of using nutritional claims on prepackage food products. Considering the consumer's beliefs is relevant to develop actions and measures that aim the health education to increase their knowledge about nutritional claims.