Actively Creating A Health-conscious Lifestyle Through Food Label Literacy In Hawaii

Abstract

Food labels facilitate vital communication to the grocery shopping consumer. This research paper examines the use of food labels during the decision-making process that occurs between browsing and buying. The study sought to understand consumer motivation, nutrition perception, and health identity through product label interaction. The scope of research was centered on grocery store customers in the Honolulu metropolitan area. Qualitative mixed methods were the research techniques comprised of focus groups and interviews with a total of eighteen participants. As a result, three categories were established: nine participants designated as being most health-conscious, four being moderately health-conscious, and five being minimally health-conscious. The implications of this study are that the more health-conscious and motivated an individual is, the more food labels will be utilized when making a grocery purchasing decision. The more frequently a customer utilized the food label, the healthier the food choices were. The use of food labels alone did not fundamentally change a person’s personal beliefs as hypothesized, but rather reinforced their preexisting attitudes. Food labels were simply indicative of one’s identity as an empowered health-conscious consumer. Good health was imbued in one’s sense of self and a health-conscious lifestyle became a manifestation of one’s personal philosophy.