Evaluation of Menu Label Perception and Its Relationship with Obesity Prejudice  Among University Students:  An Example from a Faculty of Health Sciences Students

İlknur Hanım Ünaçan; Merve Kip; Aslı Gizem Çapar; Neriman İnanç; Fahri Bayram

Article Details

Evaluation of Menu Label Perception and Its Relationship with Obesity Prejudice Among University Students: An Example from a Faculty of Health Sciences Students

Authors:

İlknur Hanım Ünaçan | Merve Kip | Aslı Gizem Çapar | Neriman İnanç | Fahri Bayram

Publisher:

Zonguldak Bulent Ecevit University

Main Topics:

Beslenme ve Diyetetik (Diğer)

Journal:

Türkiye Diyabet ve Obezite Dergisi Vol.9 Issue 1, pp.36-47

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

4/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001347392

pISSN:

2587-0335

Keywords:

Abstract:

 Aim: In recent years, menu labeling strategies have been used to prevent and reduce obesity in places of mass feeding. In addition to the increasing obesity problem, another issue that has not received enough attention is obesity prejudice. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between perception of menu labeling and obesity prejudice in university students. Material and Methods: This study was completed between January 2023 and April 2023 with the participation of 452 health sciences faculty students 398 females, 54 males. Data were collected with a questionnaire form including general information, dietary habits and anthropometric measurements, and a food choice questionnaire including questions about menu labelling perception and eating out habits. A 24-hour retrospective food consumption record and GAMS-27 Obesity Prejudice Scale were obtained from the participants. Kruskal-Wallis, Conover and chi-square tests were used in statistical analyses. Results: The median score of obesity prejudice scale was 86 79-95 and 55.76 of the students were found to be obesity prejudiced. The median score of obesity prejudice scale was 86,0 78.75-94.00 for females and 88.5 81.00-98.75 for males. All participants preferred the menu label containing macronutrients the most 43.36. In the obesity prejudiced and prejudice-prone groups, the second most preferred labelling was menu labels with colors and health associations 23.81 and 23.65, respectively, while in the obesity non prejudiced group, the menu label with traffic light warning was preferred 19.23 p0.024. Conclusion: Menu labelling is an important tool that can be used in gaining healthy eating habits and preventing obesity in our country. Obesity awareness and obesity prejudice tendency may encourage individuals to make healthy menu choices. However, menu labels that use health-related stigmatising language or give physical activity equivalents may be effective in increasing negative thought patterns in obesity-prejudiced or prejudice-prone individuals. Therefore, it is thought that it may be useful to develop and use appropriate menu labelling methods to promote healthy nutrition and combat obesity prejudice.

 Aim: In recent years, menu labeling strategies have been used to prevent and reduce obesity in places of mass feeding. In addition to the increasing obesity problem, another issue that has not received enough attention is obesity prejudice. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between perception of menu labeling and obesity prejudice in university students. Material and Methods: This study was completed between January 2023 and April 2023 with the participation of 452 health sciences faculty students 398 females, 54 males. Data were collected with a questionnaire form including general information, dietary habits and anthropometric measurements, and a food choice questionnaire including questions about menu labelling perception and eating out habits. A 24-hour retrospective food consumption record and GAMS-27 Obesity Prejudice Scale were obtained from the participants. Kruskal-Wallis, Conover and chi-square tests were used in statistical analyses. Results: The median score of obesity prejudice scale was 86 79-95 and 55.76 of the students were found to be obesity prejudiced. The median score of obesity prejudice scale was 86,0 78.75-94.00 for females and 88.5 81.00-98.75 for males. All participants preferred the menu label containing macronutrients the most 43.36. In the obesity prejudiced and prejudice-prone groups, the second most preferred labelling was menu labels with colors and health associations 23.81 and 23.65, respectively, while in the obesity non prejudiced group, the menu label with traffic light warning was preferred 19.23 p0.024. Conclusion: Menu labelling is an important tool that can be used in gaining healthy eating habits and preventing obesity in our country. Obesity awareness and obesity prejudice tendency may encourage individuals to make healthy menu choices. However, menu labels that use health-related stigmatising language or give physical activity equivalents may be effective in increasing negative thought patterns in obesity-prejudiced or prejudice-prone individuals. Therefore, it is thought that it may be useful to develop and use appropriate menu labelling methods to promote healthy nutrition and combat obesity prejudice.

 Aim: In recent years, menu labeling strategies have been used to prevent and reduce obesity in places of mass feeding. In addition to the increasing obesity problem, another issue that has not received enough attention is obesity prejudice. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between perception of menu labeling and obesity prejudice in university students. Material and Methods: This study was completed between January 2023 and April 2023 with the participation of 452 health sciences faculty students 398 females, 54 males. Data were collected with a questionnaire form including general information, dietary habits and anthropometric measurements, and a food choice questionnaire including questions about menu labelling perception and eating out habits. A 24-hour retrospective food consumption record and GAMS-27 Obesity Prejudice Scale were obtained from the participants. Kruskal-Wallis, Conover and chi-square tests were used in statistical analyses. Results: The median score of obesity prejudice scale was 86 79-95 and 55.76 of the students were found to be obesity prejudiced. The median score of obesity prejudice scale was 86,0 78.75-94.00 for females and 88.5 81.00-98.75 for males. All participants preferred the menu label containing macronutrients the most 43.36. In the obesity prejudiced and prejudice-prone groups, the second most preferred labelling was menu labels with colors and health associations 23.81 and 23.65, respectively, while in the obesity non prejudiced group, the menu label with traffic light warning was preferred 19.23 p0.024. Conclusion: Menu labelling is an important tool that can be used in gaining healthy eating habits and preventing obesity in our country. Obesity awareness and obesity prejudice tendency may encourage individuals to make healthy menu choices. However, menu labels that use health-related stigmatising language or give physical activity equivalents may be effective in increasing negative thought patterns in obesity-prejudiced or prejudice-prone individuals. Therefore, it is thought that it may be useful to develop and use appropriate menu labelling methods to promote healthy nutrition and combat obesity prejudice.

 Amaç: Son yıllarda, toplu beslenme yapılan yerlerde menülerde etiketleme stratejisi obezitenin önlenmesi ve azaltılması amacıyla kullanılmaya başlanmıştır. Artan obezite sorununun yanı sıra, yeterince dikkat çekmeyen bir diğer konu da obezite ön yargısıdır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, üniversite öğrencilerinde menü etiketlerine yönelik algının obezite ön yargısı ile ilişkisini incelemektir. Yöntem: Bu çalışma, Şubat 2023-Haziran 2023 tarihleri arasında 452 sağlık bilimleri fakültesi öğrencisinin 398 kadın, 54 erkek katılımıyla tamamlanmıştır. Araştırma verileri genel bilgiler, beslenme alışkanlıkları ve antropometrik ölçümleri içeren anket formu ile; menü etiketi algısı bölümü ve dışarıda yeme alışkanlıkları ile ilgili soruları içeren besin seçimi anketi ile toplanmıştır. Katılımcılardan 24 saatlik geriye dönük besin tüketim kaydı ve GAMS-27 Obezite Önyargı Ölçeği uygulanmıştır. Bulgu: Öğrencilerin obezite ön yargı ölçek ortalama skoru 86 79-95 puan olup, 55,8inin obezite ön yargılı olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Tüm katılımcılar en çok makro besin ögelerini içeren menü etiketini 43,46 tercih etmiştir. Obezite ön yargılı ve ön yargıya eğilimli gruplarda en çok tercih edilen ikinci etiketleme renkler ile sağlık ilişkisi verilen menü etiketleri sırasıyla 23,65, 23,81 olurken obezite ön yargısız grupta trafik lambası uyarısı verilen menü etiketi tercih edilmiştir 19,23 p0,024. Sonuç: Menü etiketleme, ülkemizde sağlıklı beslenme alışkanlığının kazandırılması ve obezitenin önlenmesinde kullanılabilecek önemli bir politikadır. Ancak sağlıkla ilişkili damgalayıcı bir dil kullanılan menü etiketlerinin obezite ön yargılı veya ön yargıya eğilimli bireylerde olumsuz düşünce kalıplarının artmasında etkili olabileceği için uygun menü etiketleme yöntemlerinin kullanılması teşvik edilmelidir.

Article Details

Evaluation of Menu Label Perception and Its Relationship with Obesity Prejudice Among University Students: An Example from a Faculty of Health Sciences Students

Authors:

İlknur Hanım Ünaçan | Merve Kip | Aslı Gizem Çapar | Neriman İnanç | Fahri Bayram

Publisher:

Zonguldak Bulent Ecevit University

Main Topics:

Beslenme ve Diyetetik (Diğer)

Journal:

Türkiye Diyabet ve Obezite Dergisi Vol.9 Issue 1, pp.36-47

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

4/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001347392

pISSN:

2587-0335

Menu labeling

Obesity prejudice

Health sciences

University studentsmenü etiketi

obezite ön yargısı

sağlık bilimleri

üniversite öğrencileri

Issues

Article Details

Authors: İlknur Hanım Ünaçan | Merve Kip | Aslı Gizem Çapar | Neriman İnanç | Fahri Bayram

Publisher: Zonguldak Bulent Ecevit University

Main Topics: Beslenme ve Diyetetik (Diğer)

Journal: Türkiye Diyabet ve Obezite Dergisi Vol.9 Issue 1, pp.36-47

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 4/2025

Document Language: Turkish

Document ID (Org No.): 2001347392

pISSN: 2587-0335

Issues

Authors:

İlknur Hanım Ünaçan | Merve Kip | Aslı Gizem Çapar | Neriman İnanç | Fahri Bayram

Publisher:

Zonguldak Bulent Ecevit University

Main Topics:

Beslenme ve Diyetetik (Diğer)

Journal:

Türkiye Diyabet ve Obezite Dergisi Vol.9 Issue 1, pp.36-47

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

4/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001347392

pISSN:

2587-0335