Way of Looking at Information about Health Food Products and Related Factors

Abstract

　［Objective］ The objective was to reveal the perspective from which members of the community examine information about health food products and to investigate related factors.

　［Method］ Participants were 188 community residents in their 40s to 60s in Ehime Prefecture. An anonymous, self-report questionnaire was administered on participant attributes, perspective on information when buying health food products, health literacy, health consciousness, health status, and experience using health food products.

　［Results］ The most checked items when buying health food products were notes on intake method, intake amount, and warnings, with 77.7％ of participants, followed by nutritional composition and the amount of other ingredients at 76.9％. The least checked items were whether there were articles reported about the product at 33.1％, followed by whether there was research with human subjects at 59.2％. Participants’ sex, experience using health food products, and health literacy were significantly related to their perspective on information when buying health food.

　［Conclusion］ As confirmation of items related to scientific evidence were insufficient and health literacy was related to perspective on information, it is necessary to educate people on the way of looking at information and the method of obtaining information is necessary.