Research Articles (Human Ecology and Dietetics)

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Browsing by Author "Bopape, Makoma"

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    Effect of different front-of-package food labels on identification of unhealthy products and intention to purchase the products– A randomised controlled trial in South Africa
    (Elsevier, 2022) Bopape, Makoma; Murukutla, Nandita; Wen Ng, Shu
    This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different labels on participants identifying products high in nutrients of concern; identifying unhealthy products, and intention to purchase unhealthy products. This blinded randomised controlled trial included a representative sample of South African households (n = 1951). Per household we selected a member primarily responsible for food purchases. Participants were randomised into the Warning Label (WL), Guideline Dietary Amounts (GDA) or Multiple Traffic Light (MTL) arms. Each participant answered questions in a no label condition (control) followed by same questions in the label condition (experiment). Complete data were collected and analysed for 1948 participants (WL = 33.7%, GDA = 32.1% and MTL = 34.2%). The probability of correctly identifying products high in nutrients of concern and identifying products as being unhealthy was higher with the WL compared to the GDA or MTL for most items. There was no difference in performance between the GDA and the MTL when considering all items together. A higher percentage of participants reported a lower intention to purchase an unhealthy product after exposure to the WL compared to MTL for 5 out of 6 products; 2 out of 6 products for the WL compared to GDA and 2 out of 6 products for GDA compared to MTL. Compared to the control condition, exposure to each of the labels resulted in better identification of nutrients of concern, unhealthy products and a lower intention to purchase when considering all specific outcome items together. The WL showed a higher potential to enable South African consumers to identify products high in nutrients of concern, identify unhealthy products and discourage purchasing of unhealthy products.
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    South African consumers’ perceptions of front-of-package warning labels on unhealthy foods and drinks
    (Public Library of Science, 2021) Bopape, Makoma; Taillie, Lindsey Smith; Swart, Rina
    Front-of-package labeling (FOPL) is a policy tool that helps consumers to make informed food choices. South Africa has not yet implemented this labeling system. The aim of this study was therefore to explore adult South African consumers’ perceptions of front-of-package warning labels on foods and non-alcoholic beverages (referred to as drinks in this paper) and their insights into features that could influence the effectiveness of the warning label. Using a qualitative approach, the study purposively selected consumers diversified by urbanization, gender, socioeconomic status, and literacy. We collected data from a total of 113 participants through 12 focus group discussions. Data were systematically coded and divided into five themes namely, positive attitudes toward warning labels, perceived benefits of warning labels, perceived behavior modification, perceived beneficiaries of warning labels, and effective attributes of warning labels.