Comprehension and Use of Nutrition Facts Tables among Adolescents and Young Adults in Canada

2016 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 59-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin Hobin ◽  
Grace Shen-Tu ◽  
Jocelyn Sacco ◽  
Christine White ◽  
Carolyn Bowman ◽  
...  

Purpose: Limited evidence exists on the comprehension and use of Nutrition Facts tables (NFt) among adolescents and young adults. This study provides an account of how young people engage with, understand, and apply nutrition information on the current and modified versions of the NFt to compare and choose foods. Methods: Participants aged 16–24 years (n = 26) were asked to “think aloud” while viewing either the current or 1 of 5 modified NFts and completing a behavioural task. The task included a questionnaire with 9 functional items requiring participants to define, compare, interpret, and manipulate serving size and percentage daily value (%DV) information on NFts. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to further probe thought processes and difficulties experienced in completing the task. Results: Equal serving sizes on NFts improved ability to accurately compare nutrition information between products. Most participants could define %DV and believed it can be used to compare foods, yet some confusion persisted when interpreting %DVs and manipulating serving-size information on NFts. Where serving sizes were unequal, mathematical errors were often responsible for incorrect responses. Conclusions: Results reinforce the need for equal serving sizes on NFts of similar products and highlight young Canadians’ confusion when using nutrition information on NFts.

2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (10) ◽  
pp. 173-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Hobin ◽  
J. Sacco ◽  
L. Vanderlee ◽  
C. M. White ◽  
F. Zuo ◽  
...  

Introduction Given the proposed changes to nutrition labelling in Canada and the dearth of research examining comprehension and use of nutrition facts tables (NFts) by adolescents and young adults, our objective was to experimentally test the efficacy of modifications to NFts on young Canadians’ ability to interpret, compare and mathematically manipulate nutrition information in NFts on prepackaged food. Methods An online survey was conducted among 2010 Canadians aged 16 to 24 years drawn from a consumer sample. Participants were randomized to view two NFts according to one of six experimental conditions, using a between-groups 2 x 3 factorial design: serving size (current NFt vs. standardized serving-sizes across similar products) x percent daily value (% DV) (current NFt vs. "low/med/high" descriptors vs. colour coding). The survey included seven performance tasks requiring participants to interpret, compare and mathematically manipulate nutrition information on NFts. Separate modified Poisson regression models were conducted for each of the three outcomes. Results The ability to compare two similar products was significantly enhanced in NFt conditions that included standardized serving-sizes (p ≤ .001 for all). Adding descriptors or colour coding of % DV next to calories and nutrients on NFts significantly improved participants’ ability to correctly interpret % DV information (p ≤ .001 for all). Providing both standardized serving-sizes and descriptors of % DV had a modest effect on participants’ ability to mathematically manipulate nutrition information to calculate the nutrient content of multiple servings of a product (relative ratio = 1.19; 95% confidence limit: 1.04–1.37). Conclusion Standardizing serving-sizes and adding interpretive % DV information on NFts improved young Canadians’ comprehension and use of nutrition information. Some caution should be exercised in generalizing these findings to all Canadian youth due to the sampling issues associated with the study population. Further research is needed to replicate this study in a more heterogeneous sample in Canada and across a range of food products and categories.


2020 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-42
Author(s):  
Anna Kostiukow ◽  
Wojciech Strzelecki ◽  
Mateusz W. Romanowski ◽  
Marta Rosołek ◽  
Ewa Mojs ◽  
...  

Introduction: The study is aimed at drawing the attention of the medical environment to the mental health aspects of young patients as a factor that significantly influences the efficiency of their rheumatic disease treatment. Aim: This paper is to check the risk of depression among a group of adolescents and young adults with rheumatic diseases. Material and Methods: The study was conducted among a group of 68 late adolescents and young adults (18-22 years old) with rheumatic diseases. The control group consisted of 102 young people (18-22 years old) without a diagnosed chronic disease. Risk of depression was measured using a screening tool – the Kutcher Adolescent Depression Scale (KADS). Results: The analysis showed that the probability of depression in the study group was 35.3%. In the control group, this rate was 19.6%. The results were statistical significance (p=0.028). Conclusions: The results of this study prove that the risk of depression among adolescents and young adults with rheumatic diseases is significantly higher than in healthy young people. The highest risk of depression is related to feeling tired, fatigue, low energy levels and lack of motivation as well as feeling worried, nervous, panicky, tense, keyed-up and anxious.


1982 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 189-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald I. Templer ◽  
Carol F. Ruff ◽  
Joyce L. Ayers ◽  
James A. Beshai

Normal adolescents and young adults tended to report better mood toward the evening; whereas middle-aged and elderly persons tended to report better mood in the morning. Limited evidence suggests the opposite trends for depressed psychiatric patients. The findings were related to theoretical considerations.


2016 ◽  
Vol 118 (7) ◽  
pp. 1579-1593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priscila Pereira Machado ◽  
Mariana Vieira dos Santos Kraemer ◽  
Nathalie Kliemann ◽  
Cláudia Flemming Colussi ◽  
Marcela Boro Veiros ◽  
...  

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse and compare the serving sizes and energy values reported on the nutrition information of all processed and ultra-processed dairy products in their regular and diet/light versions available for sale in a large supermarket in Brazil. Design/methodology/approach – A check was done for associations between the compliance of reported serving sizes, energy values per serving and energy density for regular foods and foods advertised at “diet/light” (with reduced fat and calories). Findings – The data included information from 451 dairy product labels. Most of the products had serving sizes smaller than the reference set by Brazilian law. A high variability of serving sizes was found for similar products. “Diet/light” foods tend to report serving sizes that are even smaller and more inadequate. Moreover, the energy density of these products was similar to that of the regular foods. Smaller serving sizes may be being presented on “diet/light” foods in order to report lower energy values and on similar foods to show non-existent differences in energy values. These results point to the importance of standardizing serving size information on food labels so that consumers have access to clear and accurate information about food products. Originality/value – This was the first census-type study to analyse the serving size information of dairy products at a supermarket of one of the ten largest supermarket chains in Brazil. This work extends the scope of current food labelling and contributes to the discussion about how nutrition labelling has been presented to Brazilian consumers and its possible consequences for food choices and the guarantee of consumer rights.


2022 ◽  
pp. 275275302110687
Author(s):  
Kimberly A. Pyke-Grimm ◽  
Linda S. Franck ◽  
Bonnie Halpern-Felsher ◽  
Robert E. Goldsby ◽  
Roberta S. Rehm

Background: Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer must negotiate the transition between childhood and adulthood while dealing with a life-threatening illness. AYA involvement in decision making varies depending on the type of decision and when decisions occur during treatment, and evidence suggests that AYAs want to be involved in decision making. Objective: To explore involvement of AYAs with cancer in day-to-day decisions affected by their cancer and treatment. Methods: This qualitative study used interpretive focused ethnography within the sociologic tradition, informed by symbolic interactionism. Semi-structured interviews and informal participant observation took place at two quaternary pediatric oncology programs. Results: Thirty-one interviews were conducted with 16 AYAs ages 15 to 20 years. Major day to day decision-making categories identified included: (1) mental mindset, (2) self-care practices, (3) self-advocacy, and (4) negotiating relationships. Participants described how they came to grips with their illness early on and decided to fight their cancer. They described decisions they made to protect their health, how they advocated for themselves and decisions they made about relationships with family and friends. Conclusions: Through day-to-day decisions, participants managed the impact of cancer and its treatment on their daily lives. Research should focus on developing and implementing interventions to empower AYAs to participate in day-to-day decisions that will affect how they manage their cancer, its treatment and ultimately their outcomes. Implications for Practice: Healthcare providers can facilitate AYA's participation in day-to-day decision making through encouraging autonomy and self-efficacy by providing support and through effective communication.


2019 ◽  
pp. bmjspcare-2019-001959 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronica Ing ◽  
Pandora Patterson ◽  
Marianna Szabo ◽  
Kimberley R Allison

ObjectivesTo assess the availability and efficacy of interventions open to adolescents and young adults (AYAs; 15-25 years) bereaved by a parent’s or sibling’s cancer.MethodsA systematic review of peer-reviewed literature on interventions available to AYAs bereaved by a parent’s or sibling’s cancer was conducted through searches of six online databases (PsycINFO, Medline, Scopus, Embase, SWAB and Web of Science Core Collection).ResultsDatabase and reference searches yielded 2985 articles, 40 of which were included in the review. Twenty-two interventions were identified that were available for bereaved young people. However, only three were specific to young people bereaved by familial cancer, and none were specific to AYAs. Interventions primarily provided opportunities for participants to have fun, share their experiences and/or memorialise the deceased; psychoeducation about bereavement, grief and coping was less common. Only six interventions had been satisfactorily evaluated, and no intervention targeted or analysed data for AYAs separately. Overall, some evidence suggested that interventions (especially those that were theoretically grounded) had positive effects for bereaved young people. However, benefits were inconsistently evidenced in participants’ self-reports and often only applied to subgroups of participants (eg, older youths and those with better psychological well-being at baseline).ConclusionsConsidering the very limited number of interventions specific to bereavement by familial cancer and the lack of interventions targeting AYAs specifically, it is unclear whether currently available interventions would benefit this population. The population of AYAs bereaved by familial cancer is clearly under-serviced; further development and evaluation of interventions is needed.


Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 2189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klazine Van der Horst ◽  
Tamara Bucher ◽  
Kerith Duncanson ◽  
Beatrice Murawski ◽  
David Labbe

The increase in packaged food and beverage portion sizes has been identified as a potential factor implicated in the rise of the prevalence of obesity. In this context, the objective of this systematic scoping review was to investigate how healthy adults perceive and interpret serving size information on food packages and how this influences product perception and consumption. Such knowledge is needed to improve food labelling understanding and guide consumers toward healthier portion size choices. A search of seven databases (2010 to April 2019) provided the records for title and abstract screening, with relevant articles assessed for eligibility in the full-text. Fourteen articles met the inclusion criteria, with relevant data extracted by one reviewer and checked for consistency by a second reviewer. Twelve studies were conducted in North America, where the government regulates serving size information. Several studies reported a poor understanding of serving size labelling. Indeed, consumers interpreted the labelled serving size as a recommended serving for dietary guidelines for healthy eating rather than a typical consumption unit, which is set by the manufacturer or regulated in some countries such as in the U.S. and Canada. Not all studies assessed consumption; however, larger labelled serving sizes resulted in larger self-selected portion sizes in three studies. However, another study performed on confectionary reported the opposite effect, with larger labelled serving sizes leading to reduced consumption. The limited number of included studies showed that labelled serving size affects portion size selection and consumption, and that any labelled serving size format changes may result in increased portion size selection, energy intake and thus contribute to the rise of the prevalence of overweight and obesity. Research to test cross-continentally labelled serving size format changes within experimental and natural settings (e.g., at home) are needed. In addition, tailored, comprehensive and serving-size-specific food literacy initiatives need to be evaluated to provide recommendations for effective serving size labelling. This is required to ensure the correct understanding of nutritional content, as well as informing food choices and consumption, for both core foods and discretionary foods.


2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 503-528
Author(s):  
Charlotte Woody ◽  
Amanda Baxter ◽  
Eryn Wright ◽  
Kate Gossip ◽  
Elizabeth Leitch ◽  
...  

Objective: Severe, persistent and complex mental illness (SPCMI) affects a small proportion of young people but is associated with severe disability and a large burden on families and health services. This article identifies and describes service models for adolescents and young adults with SPCMI. Methods: A systematic search was conducted for services for young people aged 12–25 years with SPCMI. The review sought service models providing extended care and/or multidisciplinary services to meet the complex and long-term needs of this population. Results: A total of 43 sources were identified. Evidence of effectiveness was found for both community- and bed-based services. Specific components suggested as important in service delivery included care provided by multidisciplinary teams, consumer and family involvement in care planning, intensive case management and service integration through the continuum of care. Conclusion: Clinical frameworks for this population must incorporate effective community care integrated with inpatient treatment of short duration. Frameworks require consumer and family-centred care with flexibility to support progression through developmental stages and tasks while addressing issues related to risk management, fluctuation in illness severity and stages of recovery. A continuum of care is necessary to meet the needs that arise from SPCMI in adolescents and young adults.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-116
Author(s):  
Mary McMahon ◽  
Karen Moni ◽  
Monica Cuskelly ◽  
Jan Lloyd ◽  
Anne Jobling

This study reports on Australian small-scale exploratory descriptive research into how young people with intellectual disability and their families construct their futures. The aims of this research were to (a) better understand the future aspirations held by young adults with intellectual disability and their parents, (b) identify enablers and barriers to the achievement of these aspirations, and (c) provide insights for career practitioners who support young people with intellectual disability and their parents to achieve their personal and career goals. Participants were four young people with intellectual disabilities aged between 18 and 30 years and their mothers. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed thematically. Results provide a nuanced understanding of the issues facing young people with intellectual disabilities and their families in constructing their futures. Suggestions are offered that can inform career development practice and policy.


2010 ◽  
Vol 90 (8) ◽  
pp. 1148-1156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olaf Verschuren ◽  
Manon Bloemen ◽  
Cas Kruitwagen ◽  
Tim Takken

BackgroundVery few objective data exist regarding aerobic performance in young people with cerebral palsy (CP). The characterization of aerobic fitness could provide baseline and outcome measures for the rehabilitation of young people with CP.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to provide reference values for aerobic fitness in a group of children, adolescents, and young adults who had CP and who were classified at Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level I or II. Data were collected with 10-m shuttle run tests.DesignThis investigation was a cross-sectional observational study conducted between August 2008 and June 2009.MethodsReference values were established using data from a total of 306 children, adolescents, and young adults who had CP, who were 6 to 20 years old, and who were recruited from 26 rehabilitation centers in the Netherlands, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, and the United States. A total of 211 participants were classified at GMFCS level I (mean age=12.2 years, SD=3.0), and 95 were classified at GMFCS level II (mean age=12.4 years, SD=3.2); 181 were male, and 125 were female. Aerobic fitness was reflected by the level achieved on the 10-m shuttle run tests.ResultsOn the basis of a total of 306 assessments from the 10-m shuttle run tests, 4 reference curves were created.LimitationsThe limitation of this study is the cross-sectional nature of the design.ConclusionsThis study provided height-related reference values for aerobic fitness in children, adolescents, and young adults who had CP, who were 6 to 20 years old, and who were classified at GMFCS level I or II. Generalized additive models for location, scale, and shape were used to construct centile curves. These curves are clinically relevant and provide a user-friendly method for the prediction of aerobic fitness in young people with CP.


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