title: Is nutritional labeling associated with individual health? The effects of labeling-based awareness on dyslipidemia risk in a South Korean population.
abstract: In 1995, the South Korean government made nutrition labeling compulsory, which has positively impacted patients with certain chronic diseases, such as dyslipidemia. We investigated the association between nutrition labeling-based awareness and the risk of dyslipidemia among individuals not yet diagnosed.
  
  
  
  Our study used data from the fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys administered during 2010-2014 (n = 17,687). We performed multiple or logistic regression analysis to examine the association between nutritional analysis and various outcome variables.
  
  
  
  Approximately 70 % of the respondents (n = 11,513) were familiar with nutrition labeling, of which 20 % (n = 3172) decided what food to buy based on that information. This awareness yielded mostly positive results on outcome indicators, such as triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. In general, individuals who used nutritional labels to make decisions regarding food purchases had a lower risk of dyslipidemia than individuals who did not (OR: 0.806, 95 % CI: 0.709-0.917).
  
  
  
  Utilizing nutrition labels for making food choices correlated with a lower risk of dyslipidemia in certain subgroups. Based on our findings, we recommend that health policymakers and medical professionals consider promoting nutrition labeling as an alternative method for managing certain chronic diseases in South Korean patients.
authors.affiliation: Premedical Courses, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jong Yeob
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Premedical Courses, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ki Hong
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kweon
authors.affiliation: Premedical Courses, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Min Jae
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University Graduate School, Seoul, Republic of Korea.|Institute of Health Services Research, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Eun-Cheol
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University Graduate School, Seoul, Republic of Korea.|Institute of Health Services Research, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Suk-Yong
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health Services Research, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.|Department of Public Health, Graduate School, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Woorim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health Services Research, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. kthan@yuhs.ac.|Department of Public Health, Graduate School, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. kthan@yuhs.ac.
authors.forename: Kyu-Tae
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D005515:Food Labeling; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D015995:Prevalence; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D014280:Triglycerides
keywords: Dyslipidemia; Health policy perception; Hyperlipidemia; Nutrition labeling