FOOD LABEL NUTRITION LITERACY - TOOL DEVELOPMENT AND ASSESSMENT

A study was undertaken to develop a reliable and valid fool for assess ing the ability of adults fo use food labels to find nutrition informa tion; to interpret information for differences between two similar pro ducts, and to problem-solve using fat, salt sugar, and fibre informati on. In Phase 1, on interview schedule was developed, items were valida ted for content by logical analysis, and the procedure was pretested b efore pilot testing with a convenience sample of 49 seniors. The 23-it em instrument was found to have acceptable internal consistency reliab ility. In Phase 2, the schedule was converted to a self-administered q uestionnaire and tested with 66 adult clients of an urban clinic progr am. The Cronbach's alpha far the entire instrument was 0.86. Mean stor es on each of the three subtests differed with age and education (P < 0.05) but not gender, shopping frequency, or buying practise. Signific antly lower stores were obtained by the oldest group and by the least educated group. Content ideas for nutrition label programs were reveal ed.