title: Does providing nutrition information at vending machines reduce calories per item sold?
abstract: In 2010, the United States (US) enacted a restaurant menu labeling law. The law also applied to vending machine companies selling food. Research suggested that providing nutrition information on menus in restaurants might reduce the number of calories purchased. We tested the effect of providing nutrition information and 'healthy' designations to consumers where vending machines were located in college residence halls. We conducted our study at one university in Southeast US (October-November 2012). We randomly assigned 18 vending machines locations (residence halls) to an intervention or control group. For the intervention we posted nutrition information, interpretive signage, and sent a promotional email to residents of the hall. For the control group we did nothing. We tracked sales over 4 weeks before and 4 weeks after we introduced the intervention. Our intervention did not change what the residents bought. We recommend additional research about providing nutrition information where vending machines are located, including testing formats used to present information.
authors.affiliation: Public Health Education, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 437 HHP Building, P.O. Box 26170, Greensboro, NC 27402, USA.
authors.forename: Deirdre A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Dingman
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, USA.
authors.forename: Mark R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, USA.
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Wyrick
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Bibeau
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, USA.
authors.forename: Sat N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Gupta
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D005509:Food Dispensers, Automatic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005515:Food Labeling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014481:United States; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult