Sodium and nutrition labelling: a qualitative study exploring New Zealand consumers’ food purchasing behaviours

• Published in: Public health nutrition Vol. 17; no. 5; pp. 1138 - 1146
• Main Authors: McLean, Rachael, Hoek, Janet
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.05.2014
• Subjects: Adult; adults; Air. Soil. Water. Waste. Feeding; Biological and medical sciences; Blood pressure; chronic diseases; Diet; education; Environment. Living conditions; Female; Food; Food Labeling; food purchasing; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health promotion; Humans; interviews; Interviews as Topic; Male; Marketing and Communication; Medical sciences; Metabolic diseases; Middle Aged; New Zealand; nutrition labeling; Public health; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; purchasing; Qualitative Research; Sodium; Sodium - administration & dosage; Sodium Chloride, Dietary - administration & dosage; New Zealand; Oceania; New Zealand; Food labelling; Sodium; Qualitative; Consumer behaviour; Feeding behavior; Consumer; Nutrition; Purchases; Food; Feeding
• ISSN: 1368-9800; 1475-2727; 1475-2727
• DOI: 10.1017/S1368980013001079

Dietary sodium reduction is an important public health intervention that would reduce blood pressure and chronic disease. An understanding of how New Zealand consumers' food purchasing behaviour is influenced by perceptions of dietary sodium will inform future sodium-reduction strategies. The present qualitative study used in-depth interviews of adult consumers to explore consumer knowledge, understanding of food labels and food purchasing behaviour with respect to dietary sodium. New Zealand. A convenience sample of sixteen adult grocery shoppers. A thematic analysis of the transcripts showed New Zealand consumers lacked the background knowledge necessary to understand and regulate their own salt intake and were unable to interpret existing food labels with respect to dietary salt. The findings add further weight to calls for food labels that do not require background knowledge or numerical skills and highlight the need for population-based public health interventions. Education of New Zealand consumers on the health benefits of sodium reduction and how this may be achieved would complement this approach.