Self-Efficacy: The Key to Nutrition Facts Label Use: Theory-Based Findings from the 2019 Food and Drug Administration...

The Nutrition Facts label is a useful tool for consumers to achieve a healthy diet.

This study aimed to develop and test a theoretical framework examining factors that may influence consumers' use of the Nutrition Facts label, using a nationally representative sample.

Analyses of cross-sectional, nationally representative 2019 Food and Drug Administration Food Safety and Nutrition Survey data included developing a theoretical framework adopting key constructs from 2 health behavior theories-the Integrated Behavior Model and the Theory of Planned Behavior-to test research hypotheses.

Participants were 2041 US adults who participated in the 2019 Food and Drug Administration Food Safety and Nutrition Survey, Nutrition Version.

Consumers' use of the Nutrition Facts label, health habits, self-efficacy, attitude, knowledge and skills, economic conditions, health status, potential exposure to the Nutrition Facts label, age, sex, education, race/ethnicity, and urbanicity were measured.

A structural equation model was used.

Eighty-seven percent of respondents reported having used the Nutrition Facts labels on food packages. Among all factors tested, self-efficacy has the strongest positive relationship with consumers' use of the label (standardized regression estimate = .67; P < .001). Findings also suggest that people living in urban areas are more likely to report using the Nutrition Facts label (standardized regression estimate = .11; P = .02). Results suggest that although knowledge and skills and attitude are not directly associated with consumers' label use, the relationship between these 3 constructs is strongly mediated by self-efficacy (standardized regression estimates = .38; P < .001 and .10; P = .01, respectively). Furthermore, individuals with better health status and more exposure to the Nutrition Facts label are more likely to have higher levels of self-efficacy (standardized regression estimates = .34; P < .001 and .28; P < .001, respectively).

This study highlights the vital role self-efficacy plays in the theoretical model determining consumers' use of the Nutrition Facts label. The results also shed light on the factors that are important to consider when developing strategies to increase self-efficacy for Nutrition Facts label use and target populations for education and intervention.