Start Date: February 2016

ID #: 73393

Principal Investigator: Christina Roberto, PhD

Organization: University of Pennsylvania

Funding Round: Round 9

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This study will develop and evaluate ways to increase the impact of restaurant menu labeling among parents buying food for their children to address concerns that restaurant calorie labeling laws have not been as influential as they could be. The goals of this project are to emplore how parents respond to restaurant calorie labeling and whether labeling can be augmented with a messaging campaign to promote lower-calorie purchases among parents and children, using ofcus groups, shop-along interviews, and experimental research. The project aims are to: 1) examine parents’ understanding and use of current restaurant calorie labels; 2) develop supplemental messaging for calorie labeling; and 3) test supplemental messaging for calorie labeling that could be presented on a restaurant menu, inside a restaurant, or through a public service campaign to improve understanding and use of calorie information among parents. Participants will include parenst with varying levels of education who have children age 6 to 12 who regularly eat at chain restaurants with their children. Message themes and total restaurant food calories ordered by parents for themselves and their children will be measured and knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intentions related to the messages tested.

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