Parents' meal choices for their children at fast food and family restaurants with different menu labeling presentations

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES:This study examined the effect of nutrition labeling formats on parents' food choices for their children at different restaurant types. SUBJECTS/METHODS:An online survey was conducted with 1,980 parents of children aged 3-12 years.Participants were randomly assigned to fast food or family restaurant scenarios, and one of four menu stimuli conditions: no labeling, low-calorie symbol (symbol), numeric value (numeric), and both low-calorie symbol and numeric value (symbol + numeric).Participants selected menu items for their children.Menu choices and total calories were compared by nutrition labeling formats in each type of the restaurant.RESULTS: Low-calorie item selections were scored and a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted for an interaction effect between restaurant and labeling type.In the fast food restaurant group, parents presented with low-calorie symbols selected the lowest calorie items more often than those not presented with the format.Parents in the symbol + numeric condition selected significantly fewer calories (653 kcal) than those in the no labeling (677 kcal) or numeric conditions (674 kcal) (P = 0.006).In the family restaurant group, no significant difference were observed among different labeling conditions.A significant interaction between restaurant and labeling type on low-calorie selection score (F = 6.03,P < 0.01) suggests that the effect of nutrition labeling format interplays with restaurant type to jointly affect parents' food choices for their children. CONCLUSIONS:The provision of easily interpretable nutritional information format at fast food restaurants may encourage healthier food choices of parents for their children; however, the effects were negligible at family restaurants.