Age Group: Adults and Families

Perceptions of Nonsugar Sweeteners and Nonsugar Sweetener Front-of-Package Labels Among Parents in the United States: A Qualitative Study

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In light of efforts to decrease added sugar, the use of nonsugar sweeteners (NSS) in the food supply is increasing. Although there is concern about the health effects of NSS, particularly among children, little is known about parents’ perceptions of NSS as replacements for added sugar and whether NSS front-of-package labels (FOPLs) influence parents’ perceptions More

“I Didn’t Have to Struggle”: Caregivers’ Perspectives on the Synergistic Interplay of WIC and SNAP on Family Health

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This study explored how increased Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits interacted for dually enrolled households. Twenty-five parents dually enrolled in WIC and SNAP in the spring of 2020 shared perceptions of expanded benefits and reduced administrative requirements via semistructured interviews. Specifically, parents shared More

Policy Priorities and Research Needs for Advancing Healthy Eating: A 2026-2027 Research Agenda for U.S. Children and Adolescents

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Given recent changes to nutrition policies and programs and the food environment landscape, the need for new evidence on how these changes impact nutrition, health, and food access is greater than ever. HER has also published a research agenda intended to provide a blueprint for immediate (i.e., 12-18 month) research needs to inform strategies to More

Efficacy of front-of-package nutrient labels designed for mandatory implementation in the USA: an online randomised controlled trial

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In 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed a mandatory single front-of-package label (FOPL) listing low, medium, or high descriptors and the percent Daily Value (%DV) for saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars. Effects of this scheme (referred to as Nutrition-Info-%DV) on consumer understanding, perceptions, and behaviors are largely unknown; thus, this study More

Potential Prevalence of Front-of-Package Labels on Packaged Foods in a Supermarket Chain in the Northeast United States Under Two Proposed Labeling Systems

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has proposed a mandatory “Nutrition Info” label be placed on the front of packaged foods, showing whether products have low, medium, or high amounts of saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar. The agency has also considered a “High-In” labeling system, which would require labels on products with high levels More

“It’s confusing as hell”: A qualitative study of barriers accessing poverty alleviation benefits through the US Earned Income Tax Credit

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The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is the largest U.S. poverty alleviation program, with positive effects on health equity. Over 20% of eligible households do not receive benefits. In this qualitative study, researchers explored benefits of and barriers to EITC receipt among EITC-eligible families through analysis of 40 semi-structured interviews with EITC-eligible parents in California More

Measuring the impact of charitable food program cuts on the nutritional quality of foods

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This study examines how sudden cuts to USDA programs supporting the charitable food system (i.e., The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement (LFPA)) affect the supply of healthy food available for distribution by food banks. Existing data from 15 food banks will be analyzed, and additional data will More

Informing equitable implementation of SNAP food restriction waivers

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SNAP is the largest federally funded nutrition assistance program in the U.S., providing support to more than 40 million Americans. This study aims to provide tangible information, insights, and resources grounded in SNAP participants’ preferences and feedback to support the implementation and communication of SNAP Food Restriction waivers, minimizing barriers to SNAP participation and benefit More