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Food and nutrition labelling as a nutrition education tool : understanding, perspectives and practices of South African dietitians
Thesis (MNutr)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2022
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| _version_ | 1867613742481539072 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Chin, Cindy Angela |
| author2 | Koen, Nelene |
| author_browse | Chin, Cindy Angela Koen, Nelene |
| author_facet | Koen, Nelene Chin, Cindy Angela |
| author_sort | Chin, Cindy Angela |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MNutr)--Stellenbosch University, 2022. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/125063 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:40:58.715Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| publishDateRange | 2022 |
| publishDateSort | 2022 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/125063 Food and nutrition labelling as a nutrition education tool : understanding, perspectives and practices of South African dietitians Chin, Cindy Angela Koen, Nelene Wicks, Mariaan Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Global Health. Division of Human Nutrition. Food -- Labeling -- South Africa Food -- Composition -- South Africa Nutrition policy -- South Africa Food -- Labeling -- Standards -- South Africa UCTD Thesis (MNutr)--Stellenbosch University, 2022. ENGLISH SUMMARY: Introduction: South Africa’s population is experiencing a rapid surge in chronic diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs), highlighting the urgent need to address the dietary choices and food-purchasing decisions of its consumers. Food and nutrition labelling is a cost-effective public health tool that can guide consumers to make healthier food choices. Nutrition education interventions can improve consumer comprehension and use of nutrition labels. It is important to understand dietitians’ perspectives and practices of food and nutrition labelling as a nutrition education tool, considering the pivotal role they can play in helping consumers utilise labels optimally for their intended benefits. Objective: The study aimed to investigate South African dietitians’ understanding, perspectives and practices of food and nutrition labelling as a nutrition education tool. Methodology: A quantitative descriptive cross-sectional study with an analytical component was conducted by means of a nationwide self-administered electronic survey (N=137). Study participants were dietitians working in all sectors of practice and registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). Results: Most participants (86.9%) were aware of the labelling regulations; however only half were confident in their knowledge of permitted information (53.3%). More than half (57.7%) regard labels as relevant to their daily work and 51.8% use labels frequently, varying use depending on individual client needs (68.6%) such as food security and educational level. For education purposes, the nutrition information table (75.2%), the identification of client-specific nutrients (70.0%), and health endorsement logos (59.2%) were nutrition label components most frequently used. Aspects most frequently used to evaluate product healthiness were the cooking method (86.1%), level of processing (67.9%) and product category (63.5%). Least used aspects were genetically modified ingredients (54.7%), origin or certification claims (39.4%) and animal husbandry (34.3%). Trust in food label accuracy was high (81.8%), as well as a belief in efficacy (88.3%), relevance (80.2%), and a positive attitude towards labelling as a nutrition education tool (87.6%). Half of participants (52.5%) reported receiving adequate undergraduate training on labelling, and 64.2% of all participants believe their training was adequate to enable food label use to educate clients. Almost all participants (97.9%) believe it is their responsibility to remain up to date with labelling knowledge and that it should be a continuing professional development (CPD) requirement (87.6%). The majority of participants agreed that easy access to practical resources (96.4%), online access (97.1%), continuing education opportunities (93.4%), trust in the integrity of information (92.0%), and better undergraduate training (86.9%) would increase label use. Conclusion: Overall, dietitians view food labels positively, regard them as highly relevant, employ the use of labels as nutrition education tools with confidence, and understand the integral role of the profession in the context of labelling education. To promote optimal and more frequent use of labelling as a nutrition education tool, it is important to address issues of standardisation, trustworthiness, and continuing educational development. Research that explores strategies to support the profession in this regard can contribute to improving South African consumers’ use of labelling to improve their dietary choices. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Inleiding: Daar is ʼn skerp styging in chroniese dieetverwante nie-oordraagbare siektes (NOS’s) onder Suid-Afrika se bevolking, wat uitlig hoe dringend noodsaaklik dit is om die dieetkeuses en besluite oor voedselaankope van verbruikers aan te pak. Die etikettering van voedsel en voeding is ʼn kostedoeltreffende publieke gesondheidshulpmiddel wat verbruikers kan help om gesonder voedselkeuses te maak. Opvoedkundige voedingintervensies kan verbruikers se begrip en gebruik van voedingsetikette verbeter. Dit is belangrik om dieetkundiges se perspektiewe en praktyke ten opsigte van voedsel- en voedingsetikettering as ʼn hulpmiddel vir voedingsonderrig te verstaan, gegewe die deurslaggewende rol wat hulle daarin kan speel om verbruikers te help om etikette optimaal vir die beoogde voordele daarvan aan te wend. Doelwit: Die studie was daarop gemik om Suid-Afrikaanse dieetkundiges se begrip van, perspektiewe op en praktyke ten opsigte van voedsel- en voedingsetikettering as ʼn hulpmiddel vir voedingsonderrig te ondersoek. Metodologie: ʼn Kwantitatiewe beskrywende dwarssnitstudie met ʼn analitiese komponent is uitgevoer met behulp van ʼn landwye selftoegediende elektroniese opname (N=137). Studiedeelnemers was dieetkundiges uit alle praktyksektore wat by die Suid-Afrikaanse Raad vir Gesondheidsberoepe (HPCSA) geregistreer is. Uitslae: Die meeste deelnemers (86.9%) was bewus van die etiketteringsregulasies; slegs die helfte was egter seker van hulle kennis van die toegelate inligting (53.3%). Meer as die helfte (57.7%) beskou etikette as relevant vir hulle daaglikse werk en 51.8% maak dikwels van etikette gebruik, welke gebruik verskil afhangende van individuele klientbehoeftes (68.6%), soos voedselsekerheid en vlak van opvoeding. Vir opvoedkundige doeleindes is die voedingsinligtingstabel (75.2%), die identifisering van klientspesifieke voedingstowwe (70.0%), en gesondheidsonderskrywingslogo’s (59.2%) die voedingsetiketkomponente wat mees dikwels gebruik word. Die aspekte wat mees dikwels gebruik is om produkheilsaamheid te evalueer, was die gaarmaakmetode (86.1%), vlak van prosessering (67.9%) en produkkategorie (63.5%). Die aspekte wat die minste gebruik is, was geneties-gemodifiseerde bestanddele (54.7%), aansprake ten opsigte van oorsprong of sertifisering (39.4%) en veeteelt (34.3%). Daar was ʼn hoe vlak van vertroue in die akkuraatheid van voedseletikette (81.8%), asook geloof in doeltreffendheid (88.3%), relevansie (80.2%), en ʼn positiewe ingesteldheid teenoor etikettering as ʼn hulpmiddel vir voedingsonderrig (87.6%). Die helfte van die deelnemers (52.5%) rapporteer dat hulle voldoende voorgraadse opleiding oor etikettering ontvang het, en 64.2% van alle deelnemers glo dat hulle opleiding voldoende was om kliente oor die gebruik van voedseletikette op te voed. Feitlik alle deelnemers (97.9%) glo dat dit hulle verantwoordelikheid is om hulle kennis van etikettering bygewerk te hou en dat dit ʼn vereiste vir voortgesette professionele ontwikkeling (VPO) behoort te wees (87.6%). Die meerderheid deelnemers stem saam dat maklike toegang tot praktiese hulpbronne (96.4%), aanlyn toegang (97.1%), geleenthede vir voortgesette opvoeding (93.4%), vertroue in die integriteit van inligting (92.0%), en beter voorgraadse opleiding (86.9%) etiketgebruik sal verhoog. Gevolgtrekking: Dieetkundiges het oor die algemeen ʼn positiewe ingesteldheid jeens voedseletikette, beskou dit as hoogs relevant, gebruik etikette as hulpmiddels vir voedingsonderrig met selfvertroue, en verstaan die integrale rol van die bedryf in die konteks van opvoeding oor etikettering. Om die optimale en meer gereelde gebruik van etikettering as ʼn hulpmiddel vir voedingsonderrig te bevorder, is dit belangrik om kwessies soos standaardisering, betroubaarheid en voortgesette opvoedkundige ontwikkeling aan te pak. Navorsing wat strategiee vir die ondersteuning van die beroep in hierdie verband verken, kan bydra tot die verbetering van Suid-Afrikaanse verbruikers se aanwending van etikettering om hulle dieetkeuses te verbeter. Masters 2022-02-18T09:16:05Z 2022-04-29T12:52:23Z 2022-02-18T09:16:05Z 2022-02-18 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/125063 en Stellenbosch University 118 pages : illustrations, includes annexures application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Food -- Labeling -- South Africa Food -- Composition -- South Africa Nutrition policy -- South Africa Food -- Labeling -- Standards -- South Africa UCTD Chin, Cindy Angela Food and nutrition labelling as a nutrition education tool : understanding, perspectives and practices of South African dietitians |
| title | Food and nutrition labelling as a nutrition education tool : understanding, perspectives and practices of South African dietitians |
| title_full | Food and nutrition labelling as a nutrition education tool : understanding, perspectives and practices of South African dietitians |
| title_fullStr | Food and nutrition labelling as a nutrition education tool : understanding, perspectives and practices of South African dietitians |
| title_full_unstemmed | Food and nutrition labelling as a nutrition education tool : understanding, perspectives and practices of South African dietitians |
| title_short | Food and nutrition labelling as a nutrition education tool : understanding, perspectives and practices of South African dietitians |
| title_sort | food and nutrition labelling as a nutrition education tool understanding perspectives and practices of south african dietitians |
| topic | Food -- Labeling -- South Africa Food -- Composition -- South Africa Nutrition policy -- South Africa Food -- Labeling -- Standards -- South Africa UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/125063 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT chincindyangela foodandnutritionlabellingasanutritioneducationtoolunderstandingperspectivesandpracticesofsouthafricandietitians |