Evaluating the Impact of Menu Labeling on Families. Food Choices and Intake

描述(申请人提供)：连锁餐厅的菜单标签已经被提出，以帮助解决人们对不良饮食和肥胖的担忧，但很少有研究测试其影响。有证据表明，在菜单上添加每天2000卡路里的标签可以提高菜单标签在改变成年人食物选择和摄入量方面的有效性。然而，还没有研究评估菜单标签和关于每日卡路里摄入量的标签如何影响父母和孩子的食物选择和摄入量。这是一个关键的问题，因为父母可能会帮助孩子选择基于2000卡路里饮食的食物，而孩子的需求实际上要少得多。提供儿童每日卡路里需求标签可能能够防止这种结果，并进一步增加菜单标签的有效性。因此，本研究旨在评估餐厅菜单上的卡路里标签对父母和孩子一起用餐的食物选择和摄入量的影响。我们将在200到250个家庭(目标是招募300名儿童)之间随机选择：1)没有卡路里标签的菜单(没有卡路里标签)；2)有卡路里标签和标签的菜单，说明成人每天推荐的卡路里摄入量(卡路里标签和成人信息)；3)有卡路里标签和标签的菜单，说明不同年龄段的成人和儿童的推荐每日卡路里需求(卡路里标签加上成人和儿童信息)。纽黑文社区的家庭将被招募参加一项关于就餐偏好和饮食习惯的消费者市场研究，以掩盖研究的目的。他们将参加一个焦点小组，并从三个菜单中选择一个来点餐。他们的食物选择将被记录下来，他们的食物消耗量将被客观地衡量。然后，这些家庭将在第二天回来进行饮食回忆访谈，以评估他们在学习餐后吃了什么。我们的主要目标是测试餐厅菜单上的卡路里标签是否会影响父母和孩子在晚餐期间订购和消耗的总卡路里。我们也会评估父母和孩子在晚餐后的晚上摄入的总卡路里，以及父母和孩子在晚餐后的晚上摄入的总卡路里加上父母和孩子在晚餐后的晚上摄入的总卡路里。最后，我们将评估父母估计他们在晚餐中摄入了多少卡路里的能力，以及他们的孩子摄入了多少卡路里。这项拟议的研究将首次评估当前政策要求的卡路里标签如何影响父母和孩子一起用餐的餐厅食物的订购和消费。这一结果可以帮助政策制定者确定应作为菜单标签立法的一部分包括哪些营养信息，以努力改善糟糕的饮食并最终降低肥胖率。除了拟议的研究外，本申请还概述了开展拟议研究的研究培训计划。培训计划旨在实现五个目标：1)在现有研究的基础上，更好地了解菜单标签政策如何影响父母和儿童的食物选择；2)获得与儿童进行研究的经验；3)学习先进的统计技术，这些技术将应用于拟议的研究并用于未来的研究；4)继续整合临床心理学和公共卫生的方法和视角；5)学习如何有效地向该领域的其他研究人员、公众和决策者传播科学发现。这些培训经验将通过正式课程、特别研讨会、实验室会议、与主要研究导师和其他教师的密切工作关系以及与陆克文食品政策和肥胖中心工作人员的互动来实现。 与公共健康相关：菜单标签是一项公共卫生政策，要求连锁餐厅在餐厅菜单和菜单板上张贴卡路里信息。人们希望菜单标签将对消费者的食物选择和消费产生积极影响，但很少有研究测试其影响。这项拟议的研究将首次评估当前政策要求的卡路里标签如何影响父母和孩子一起用餐的餐厅食物的订购和消费。这些结果可以帮助政策制定者确定应作为菜单标签立法的一部分包括哪些营养信息，以努力改善成人和儿童的糟糕饮食，并最终降低肥胖率。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Menu labeling for chain restaurants has been proposed to help address concerns about poor diet and obesity, but little research has tested its impact. There is evidence that adding a 2,000 daily caloric requirement label to menus can increase the effectiveness of menu labeling on altering adults food choices and intake. However, there are no studies evaluating how the food choices and intake of parents and children are influenced by menu labels and labels about daily caloric intake. This is a critical question since it is possible that parents will help children select meals based on a 2,000 calorie diet when children's requirements are actually much less. The provision of children's daily caloric requirement labels may be able to prevent this outcome and further increase the effectiveness of menu labeling. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the impact of calorie labels on restaurant menus on the food choices and intake of parents and their children eating a meal together. We will randomize between 200 and 250 families (with the goal of recruiting 300 children) to either 1) a menu without calorie labels (No Calorie Labels); 2) a menu with calorie labels and a label stating the recommended daily caloric requirements for adults (Calorie Labels plus Adult Information); 3) a menu with calorie labels and labels stating the recommended daily caloric requirements for adults as well as children of different age ranges (Calorie Labels plus Adult and Children Information). Families will be recruited from the New Haven Community to participate in a consumer market research study of dining preferences and eating habits to conceal the study's purpose. They will participate in a focus group and order dinner from one of three menus. Their food choices will be recorded and their food consumption will be objectively measured. The families will then return the next day for a dietary recall interview to assess what they ate after the study meal. Our primary aims are to test whether calorie labels on restaurant menus influence the total calories ordered and consumed by parents and children during a dinner meal. We will also assess the total calories consumed by parents and children in the evening following the dinner meal and the combination of the total calories consumed by parents and children during the dinner meal plus the total calories consumed by parents and children in the evening following the dinner meal. Finally, we will evaluate the ability of parents to estimate how many calories they consumed during a dinner meal as well as how many calories their children consumed. This proposed study will be the first to evaluate how calorie labels as required by current policy impact the ordering and consumption of restaurant food by parents and children eating a meal together. The results can help policy makers determine the kind of nutrition information that should be included as part of menu label legislation in an effort to improve poor diet and ultimately reduce the prevalence of obesity. In addition to the proposed study, this application outlines a research training plan to carry out the proposed research. The training plan is designed to meet five goals: 1) Build upon existing research to better understand how menu labeling policies impact the food choices of parents and children; 2) Gain experience conducting research with children; 3) Learn advanced statistical techniques that will be applied to the proposed study and used in future research; 4) Continue to integrate clinical psychology and public health methods and perspectives; 5) Learn how to effectively disseminate scientific findings to other researchers in the field, the public and to policy makers. These training experiences will be achieved through formal coursework, special seminars, lab meetings, close working relationships with a primary research mentor and other faculty, and interactions with staff at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Menu labeling is a public health policy requiring chain restaurants to post calorie information on restaurant menus and menu boards. The hope is that menu labels will positively impact consumers' food choices and consumption, but little research has tested its impact. The proposed study will be the first to evaluate how calorie labels as required by current policy impact the ordering and consumption of restaurant food by parents and children eating a meal together. The results can help policy makers determine the kind of nutrition information that should be included as part of menu label legislation in an effort to improve poor diet among adults and children and ultimately reduce the prevalence of obesity.