title: Engaging inner city middle school students in development of an energy expenditure food label.
abstract: Using food labels can be an important component of maintaining healthy weight, but young adolescents are unlikely to have the requisite skills to make use of food labeling information. Our objectives were to determine knowledge about calories and comprehension and use of the Nutrition Facts Panel among a group of inner city African-American and Hispanic middle school students, and to engage the students in refining a Calorie Converter energy expenditure food label. We used quantitative and qualitative methods including questionnaires, focus groups, and hands-on graphic design activities. Correctly defining the word "calorie" was associated with correct answers to three of four questions requiring interpretation of the Nutrition Facts Panel [χ(2)(1, 138, p < .05) = 4.56, 4.14, and 5.61.] We incorporated students' design and content modifications for the Calorie Converter label, and the majority indicated that the energy expenditure label would influence their food selection practices.
authors.affiliation: a Institute for Obesity Research and Program Evaluation , Texas A&M University, College Station , Texas , USA.
authors.forename: Carol J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Spaulding
authors.forename: Catherine J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Mcneal
authors.forename: John David
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Coppin
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shimek
authors.forename: Lindsey
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Field
authors.forename: Peter S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Murano
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American; D002648:Child; D002947:Cities; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D005515:Food Labeling; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D015206:Southwestern United States; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Nutrition Facts Panel; adolescent; calorie; energy expenditure; engagement; food label; front of package labeling; middle school; obesity prevention; targeted audiences