Project – Food Label Reading and Health-Conscious Food Choices among University Students: A Study of Students of the University of Ibadan

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Food choice is an important determinant of nutritional status and long-term health because the foods individuals select and consume influence their intake of energy, nutrients, salt, sugar, fats and other dietary components. The transition into university life can expose students to greater independence in deciding what, when and where to eat, often within environments characterised by convenience foods, snacks, sugar-sweetened beverages and commercially packaged products. University students may therefore make food choices based on taste, cost, convenience, availability, appearance and health considerations. Adeoya, Akinwusi and Nagatomi (2023), in research conducted in Ibadan, found that food preferences among students were influenced by different nutritional and dietary considerations, while evidence from Nigerian university populations has documented concerns about inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption, irregular meal patterns and excessive energy intake among students (Ijarotimi & Keshinro, 2008). These observations make the promotion of informed and health-conscious food choices particularly relevant within university environments.

Food labels constitute one of the principal channels through which consumers obtain information about packaged foods before making purchasing and consumption decisions. Labels may provide information about ingredients, serving size, energy, protein, carbohydrate, sugars, fats, sodium, dates of durability, storage instructions and other characteristics of a product. The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies nutrition labelling as an important public-health tool for helping consumers understand the nutritional properties of foods and make informed and healthier food purchases. Similarly, the Food and Agriculture Organization and Codex Alimentarius Commission recognise nutrition and ingredient information as important mechanisms for enabling consumers to understand what they are purchasing and consuming (WHO, 2021; FAO & WHO, 2026). Thus, reading and interpreting food labels can provide consumers with information that may help them compare products and identify alternatives that better correspond with their health and dietary needs.

Food label reading, however, involves more than simply looking at a package. Consumers must be able to identify relevant information, understand nutritional terminology, interpret quantities and serving sizes, recognise ingredients and evaluate nutrition or health claims. The ability to perform these activities can influence whether label information is actually useful in food selection. A systematic review of nutrition-label use among college students and young adults found that label use varied considerably across studies, with nutrition knowledge, attitudes towards healthy diets, perceived importance of labels and self-efficacy associated with label use (Christoph, An, & Ellison, 2016). In Nigeria, Egbekunle (2017) similarly found among undergraduate students of the University of Ibadan that although many respondents demonstrated good knowledge and reported using food-label information, gaps remained in understanding some information presented on labels. These findings suggest that the availability of labels does not necessarily mean that all university students will use or correctly interpret them when selecting foods.

The potential importance of food-label reading is strengthened by evidence concerning its relationship with dietary quality. Nutrition labels can draw consumers’ attention to the nutritional composition of foods and may influence decisions concerning calories, fat, sugar, sodium and other nutrients. Christoph and An (2018), in a systematic review and meta-analysis involving 22 studies of college students, reported that 16 studies found label exposure to be associated with improved dietary outcomes, while the meta-analysis of pre-post studies found a reduction in energy selected or consumed following label exposure. Similarly, Anastasiou, Miller and Dickinson (2019), in a systematic review of 26 studies involving adults, found that reading nutrition facts labels was generally associated with healthier dietary intake, although the evidence was not consistent for every component of food labelling. This evidence indicates that food labels can potentially contribute to healthier dietary decisions, although their influence depends on how consumers understand and use the information.

Health-conscious food choices involve selecting foods with consideration for their nutritional quality and possible effects on health rather than relying exclusively on taste, price, convenience or immediate gratification. Such choices may include paying attention to the amount of added sugars, saturated fat, sodium, fibre, protein and other nutrients, as well as considering ingredients and portion sizes. The WHO (2025) identifies consumer awareness, nutrition education and accurate, standardised and comprehensible nutrition labelling as important measures for supporting healthy diets. The WHO also recommends interpretive front-of-pack labelling because information that is easier to understand may help consumers make healthier choices. Consequently, food-label reading may represent an important behavioural mechanism through which nutrition information becomes incorporated into everyday food purchasing and consumption decisions.

The Nigerian context makes food-label reading particularly important because the consumption of packaged and processed foods is increasing alongside concerns about diet-related non-communicable diseases. Nigerian food-label regulations are intended to ensure that consumers receive essential information about packaged foods. The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) provides guidelines requiring relevant information on food labels, including product identification and, where applicable, nutrition information such as energy, protein, fat and carbohydrate. However, recent research examining 883 pre-packaged food products in Nigerian markets found that while more than 70% of products complied with several key labelling requirements, compliance was substantially lower for quantitative ingredient declarations and nutrient declarations for priority and non-priority nutrients (NigeFE Study, 2025). This demonstrates that both the availability and quality of food-label information remain relevant issues within the Nigerian food environment.

The issue is particularly relevant to students of the University of Ibadan because previous research has already examined food-labelling knowledge and practices among the University’s undergraduate population. Egbekunle (2017) studied 422 undergraduate students of the University of Ibadan and reported that the majority demonstrated good knowledge, perception, attitude and use of food-labelling information, although some respondents reported barriers such as small print, lack of interest, lack of trust and lack of time. The study recommended greater nutrition education to improve students’ ability to use food-label information in selecting healthy foods. However, the existence of evidence on knowledge and use of food labels does not necessarily establish the extent to which label reading is associated with actual health-conscious food choices among current University of Ibadan students. In addition, food environments, packaged-food marketing, students’ financial circumstances and available food options can change over time. Therefore, this study seeks to examine the relationship between food label reading and health-conscious food choices among students of the University of Ibadan, with particular attention to students’ ability to read and understand nutritional information, interpret ingredients and serving sizes, evaluate nutrition claims, and apply label information when making food choices.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

University students make frequent food choices within an environment characterised by independence, convenience and exposure to a wide variety of packaged foods. Some students may select foods primarily on the basis of taste, price, convenience, availability or advertising without adequately considering nutritional composition. Research among Nigerian university students has documented patterns such as irregular meals, snack substitution and inadequate consumption of some nutritionally important food groups, indicating that food choices among university populations may not always conform to recommended dietary patterns (Ijarotimi & Keshinro, 2008). This creates a concern about whether students sufficiently consider health-related information when selecting packaged foods and whether food labels are being used as a source of guidance.

A second problem concerns the gap between the availability of food-label information and consumers’ ability or willingness to use it. Food labels may contain extensive information, but students may overlook the information, find the print difficult to read, lack adequate nutrition knowledge or fail to understand technical terms and serving-size information. Egbekunle (2017), in the University of Ibadan, found that although 73.1% of respondents reported using food-labelling information, some students indicated that they did not use labels because of small print, lack of interest, disbelief in the information or lack of time. The study also identified gaps in the understanding of some label information. Similarly, a Nigerian study of consumers in Lagos reported that while 70.6% of respondents read nutritional information, only 64.9% reported understanding the information presented on food labels (Oyewole et al., 2022). These findings suggest that reading a label and understanding its health implications are not necessarily the same behaviour.

A third problem relates to whether food-label reading actually translates into health-conscious food choices. Although international evidence generally suggests a positive relationship between nutrition-label use and healthier dietary outcomes, the evidence is not completely uniform. Anastasiou et al. (2019) reported that food-label use was associated with healthier diets in many studies but noted inconsistencies across different types of label information and dietary outcomes. Christoph and An (2018) similarly found an overall positive but moderate effect of nutrition labels on dietary intake among college students. This suggests that label reading alone may not automatically result in healthy food selection; the outcome may depend on nutrition knowledge, interpretation skills, attitudes, price, taste, convenience and other contextual factors.

Finally, there is a need for updated and context-specific evidence among students of the University of Ibadan. Although Egbekunle (2017) previously investigated knowledge, perception, attitude and use of food-labelling information among University of Ibadan undergraduates, that study primarily addressed knowledge, perception, attitude and use rather than directly examining the relationship between food-label reading and health-conscious food choices as the principal variables of interest. Furthermore, the Nigerian food environment and regulatory context continue to evolve, while recent evidence has identified continuing gaps in nutrient declarations on pre-packaged foods sold in Nigeria (NigeFE Study, 2025). There is therefore a need to examine whether students who read and interpret food labels are more likely to make health-conscious food choices. This study consequently investigates the relationship between food label reading and health-conscious food choices among students of the University of Ibadan.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between food label reading and health-conscious food choices among students of the University of Ibadan.

Specifically, the study seeks to:

1. examine the relationship between nutrition information reading and health-conscious food choices among students of the University of Ibadan;
2. determine the relationship between ingredient-list and serving-size interpretation and health-conscious food choices among students of the University of Ibadan;
3. assess the relationship between understanding of nutrition and health claims on food labels and health-conscious food choices among students of the University of Ibadan; and
4. examine the relationship between frequency of food-label use and health-conscious food choices among students of the University of Ibadan.

1.4 Research Questions

The following research questions will guide the study:

1. What is the relationship between nutrition information reading and health-conscious food choices among students of the University of Ibadan?
2. What is the relationship between ingredient-list and serving-size interpretation and health-conscious food choices among students of the University of Ibadan?
3. What is the relationship between understanding of nutrition and health claims on food labels and health-conscious food choices among students of the University of Ibadan?
4. What is the relationship between frequency of food-label use and health-conscious food choices among students of the University of Ibadan?

1.5 Research Hypothesis

The following null hypothesis will be tested at the 0.05 level of significance:

H₀: There is no significant relationship between food label reading and health-conscious food choices among students of the University of Ibadan.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The study will be significant to university students because it will provide greater understanding of the role of food labels in everyday food selection. The findings may encourage students to pay greater attention to nutritional information, ingredients, serving sizes and health claims when purchasing packaged foods.

The study will be useful to nutritionists, dietitians and health educators because it may provide evidence concerning the extent to which students use food-label information when making dietary decisions. The findings may assist health professionals in designing nutrition education programmes that address specific difficulties students experience when interpreting food labels.

The study will also benefit the University of Ibadan and other tertiary institutions. Evidence concerning students’ food-label reading practices and health-conscious food choices may assist institutions in developing nutrition-awareness programmes, health-promotion campaigns and educational activities aimed at improving students’ dietary behaviour.

The study will be relevant to food manufacturers and marketers because it may provide information about the extent to which students pay attention to nutritional and health information presented on food packages. WHO identifies nutrition labelling as an important mechanism for providing consumers with understandable information that can facilitate healthier food purchases. The findings may therefore encourage greater attention to the clarity, accuracy and comprehensibility of nutrition information.

The study will also be useful to NAFDAC and other policymakers concerned with food regulation and consumer protection. Recent Nigerian evidence indicates that although many packaged foods comply with major labelling requirements, gaps remain in some nutrient and ingredient declarations. Findings from the study may contribute to discussions about consumer awareness, nutrition education and the effective communication of food information.

Finally, the study will contribute to academic knowledge by providing current evidence on food label reading and health-conscious food choices among students of the University of Ibadan. It may serve as a reference for future researchers investigating nutrition knowledge, consumer behaviour, food labelling, dietary choices and health promotion among university students in Nigeria.

1.7 Scope of the Study

The study focuses on food label reading and health-conscious food choices among students of the University of Ibadan.

The geographical scope of the study is the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. The population will consist of students of the University of Ibadan who consume or purchase packaged food products.

The independent variable is food label reading, measured through four dimensions: nutrition information reading, ingredient-list and serving-size interpretation, understanding of nutrition and health claims, and frequency of food-label use.

The dependent variable is health-conscious food choices, referring to the extent to which students consider nutritional quality and health implications when selecting packaged foods.

The study is not intended to cover all factors influencing students’ food choices. Factors such as income, food prices, taste preferences, cultural practices, peer influence, availability and advertising may influence food choice but are not the principal variables of the present study.

1.8 Operational Definition of Terms

Food Label: Written, printed, pictorial or other information displayed on or attached to a food package to communicate information about the product, including its identity, ingredients, nutritional composition, quantity, dates and other relevant information.

Food Label Reading: The process of looking at, examining and interpreting information presented on food packages before purchasing or consuming the product.

Nutrition Information: Information on a food label concerning nutrients and nutritional characteristics such as energy, protein, carbohydrate, sugars, fat, saturated fat, sodium, fibre, vitamins and minerals.

Ingredient List: The section of a food label that identifies the ingredients used in the manufacture or preparation of a food product, generally presented according to applicable labelling requirements.

Serving Size: The stated quantity of food used as the basis for reporting nutritional information on a food label.

Nutrition Claim: A statement on a food package that describes the nutritional properties of a food or nutrient, such as claims concerning low fat, high fibre or reduced sugar.

Health Claim: A statement that associates a food, food component or nutrient with a health-related effect or benefit.

Health-Conscious Food Choices: Food-selection decisions in which an individual considers nutritional composition and potential health implications, including factors such as sugar, fat, sodium, fibre, energy and ingredient content.

University Students: Individuals formally enrolled in undergraduate or postgraduate programmes at the University of Ibadan.

Packaged Food: Food that has been placed in a package before being offered for sale to consumers and that carries product and/or nutritional information on its packaging.

Frequency of Food-Label Use: How regularly a student reads or consults food-label information when purchasing or consuming packaged food.

Nutrition Literacy: The ability to obtain, understand and use nutrition information to make appropriate food and dietary decisions.

Project – Food Label Reading and Health-Conscious Food Choices among University Students: A Study of Students of the University of Ibadan