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An unhealthy diet is an important risk factor for disability and premature death. This study aimed to assess nutrition knowledge, dietary habits, and food label use among adults in Poland as well as to identify factors associated with diet-related behaviors. A cross-sectional survey was carried out in July 2020 on a non-probability quota-based sample of 1070 adult citizens of Poland. The most common sources of nutrition knowledge were news websites (41.8%) or family/friends (32.4%). Over one-quarter of adults in Poland were on a diet (28.7%). Over one-tenth of respondents (11.9%) consumed less than three meals per day. Half of the respondents (50.3%) declared that they use food labels when shopping, and 15.4% checked the nutrition information on restaurant menus. Female gender (OR:1.70; 95%CI:1.26-2.29; p < 0.001), presence of chronic diseases (OR:1.83; 95%CI:1.37-2.44; p < 0.001), regular physical activity (p < 0.001), and being a non-smoker (OR:1.45; 95%CI:1.02-2.06; p = 0.04) were significantly associated with higher odds of being on a diet. Females (OR:1.63; 95%CI:1.24-2.15; p < 0.001), respondents with higher education (OR:1.53; 95%CI:1.17-2.01; p = 0.002), those who had never been married (OR:1.49; 95%CI:1.07-2.07; p = 0.02), respondents with chronic diseases (OR:1.73; 95%CI:1.30-2.31; p < 0.001), those with regular physical activity (p < 0.05), as well as non-smokers (OR:1.42; 95%CI:1.04-1.95; p = 0.03) had higher odds of checking the food labels. This study showed a significant gap in nutrition knowledge among adults in Poland.

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BACKGROUND: Nutrition labels on prepackaged foods are an important source of nutrition information; however, differences in comprehension of varying label formats can limit their use and effectiveness. OBJECTIVES: This study examined levels and correlates of consumers' self-reported understanding of Nutrition Facts tables (NFts) and front-of-package (FOP) labels, as well as functional NFt understanding. METHODS: Adults (≥18 y) in Australia (n = 3901), Canada (n = 4107), Mexico (n = 4012), the United Kingdom (n = 5121), and the United States (n = 4445) completed online surveys in November/December 2018. Descriptive statistics summarized sample profiles by country. Linear regression models examined the association between label understanding (self-reported NFt and FOP, functional NFt) and consumer dietary behaviors, functional nutrition knowledge, and sociodemographic characteristics. NFt understanding was measured in all countries, with FOP labeling assessed only in Mexico, Australia, and the United Kingdom. RESULTS: Self-reported and functional NFt understanding was significantly higher in the United States and Canada (P < 0.0001). In adjusted analyses, functional NFt understanding was significantly higher among women compared to men (P < 0.0001); respondents from the "majority" ethnic group in their respective countries compared with minority ethnic groups (P < 0.0001); those with higher education levels (P < 0.0001) and functional nutrition knowledge compared with their lower education and nutrition knowledge counterparts (P < 0.0001), respectively; and those making efforts to consume less sodium, sugar, or fat compared with those not reporting dietary efforts (P < 0.0001). Self-reported FOP label understanding was significantly higher for interpretive labeling systems in Australia (health star ratings) and the United Kingdom (traffic lights) compared with Mexico's Guideline Daily Amounts (GDAs) (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Nutrition labels requiring greater numeracy skills (i.e., NFts, GDAs) were more difficult for consumers to understand than interpretive FOP labels (i.e., traffic lights). Differences in NFt and FOP label understanding by income adequacy and education suggest potential disparities in labeling policy effects among vulnerable subgroups.

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Dietary practices are a key behavioral factor in chronic disease prevention; one strategy for improving such practices population-wise involves front-of-package labels (FoPL). This online randomized study, conducted in a quota-based sample of 1159 Polish adults (mean age = 40.9 ± 15.4 years), assessed the objective understanding of five FoPL: Health Star Rating, Multiple Traffic Lights, NutriScore, Reference Intakes (RI) and Warning Label. Objective understanding was evaluated by comparing results of two nutritional quality ranking tasks (without/with FoPL) using three food categories (breakfast cereals, cakes, pizza). Associations between FoPL exposure and objective understanding were assessed via multivariable ordinal logistic regression. Compared to RI and across food categories, significant improvement in objective understanding was seen for NutriScore (OR = 2.02; 95% CI: 1.41-2.91) and Warning Label (OR = 1.61; 95% CI: 1.12-2.32). In age-stratified analyses, significant improvement in objective understanding compared to RI emerged mainly among adults aged 18-30 years randomized to NutriScore (all food categories: OR = 3.88; 95% CI: 2.04-7.36; cakes: OR = 6.88; 95% CI: 3.05-15.51). Relative to RI, NutriScore was associated with some improvement in objective understanding of FoPL across and within food categories, especially among young adults. These findings contribute to the ongoing debate about an EU-wide FoPL model.

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(1) Background: Community sport settings present a range of conflicting health behaviours, including the tension between being physically active and consuming discretionary foods. Therefore, community sport settings are considered a promising location for health promotion. The aim of this project was to evaluate perceptions, knowledge and the impact (e.g., barriers and outcomes) of a healthy-canteen (cafeteria) display, based on traffic light labeling (TLL), which was set up at an Australian Basketball Association Managers' Convention and Trade Show. (2) Methods: We set up a healthy 'canteen display and surveyed Basketball managers on their perceptions of the display before (Survey 1) and after (Survey 2) visiting the display. Three months later they were surveyed (Survey 3) on changes made to their community sport canteens. (3) Results: Eighty-eight, 76 and 22 participants completed Surveys 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Participants believed stocking healthy foods and beverages was important (mean 8.5/10). Food waste, lack of consumer interest and price were identified barriers to stocking healthy foods. After visiting the display, 75% were inspired to make changes and 50% were surprised by the differences between their perceptions of the healthfulness of foods and the TLL ratings. Post-convention, 41% and 70% made or had planned healthy changes to their community sport canteen. (4) Conclusions: A healthy-canteen display is a low-cost, easy-to-implement strategy that may be able to direct self-driven improvement in the healthfulness of foods stocked at community canteens and lead to improved nutritional intakes at these venues.

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The 2017 implementation in France of the front-of-package nutrition label known as 'Nutri-Score' was intended as a public health strategy to help individuals make healthier food choices at the point of purchase and thus help reduce chronic disease on the population level. Nutri-Score and the associated individual-level dietary index are based on the British Food Standards Agency Nutrient Profiling System (FSAm-NPS-DI). Prior research has shed light on the relation between the dietary index and various physical health outcomes, yet no studies have explored the link with oral health. We analyzed the cross-sectional association of the dietary index with oral health in a population-based sample of 33,231 adults from the French NutriNet-Santé cohort. Oral health (main dependent variable) was assessed in 2016 with the General Oral Health Assessment Index; FSAm-NPS-DI (main independent variable) was calculated using ≥3 non-consecutive 24-h dietary records, following established methodology; lower scores corresponded to better diet quality. Age-specific associations were explored via multivariable linear regression. Fully-adjusted models showed modest yet significant associations between the dietary index and oral health in younger (18-59 years) and older (60+ years) participants, with the strength of the model being more pronounced in the former compared with the latter age group (F value: 28.5 versus 6.3, both p < 0.0001). Higher diet quality was associated with a somewhat lower risk of oral health problems. Albeit preliminary, the findings support the relevance of dietary indices underpinning nutrition labels such as the Nutri-Score. Future research is needed to confirm the associations.

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Current food labels include comprehensive nutritional information, but evaluations of their effects on judgments of nutritional quality and food choice are scarce. Building on previous empirical research that demonstrated that amount and complexity of information is negatively related to judgment accuracy, this study used an experimental design to evaluate nutritional information labels of varying complexity. Lens model analysis (Brunswik, 1952; Cooksey, 1996; Hammond, 1955; Stewart, 1976) was used to study the judgment process. Nutrition judgment accuracy was assessed by comparing nutrition judgments to a nutrition expert criterion (NuVal®) in three package labeling conditions. The conditions were: no nutritional information highlighted; nutrients highly related to nutritional quality highlighted using a front-of-package (FOP) label; and nutrients unrelated to nutritional quality highlighted using a FOP label. Findings indicate a limited role of FOP labeling in increasing judgment accuracy, consistency of nutritional information usage, and food choice. Implications for understanding labeling efforts to improve food choices are discussed.

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