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Effect of Food Labelling Education on Healthy Food Choices among University Students in Nigeria

Abstract

Healthy food choices are important for maintaining good health and reducing the risk of nutrition-related health problems among young adults. University students may frequently consume processed and convenience foods because of busy academic schedules, limited financial resources, food availability, peer influence, and personal preferences. Although packaged food labels provide information about nutritional composition, ingredients, serving sizes, calories, sugar, sodium, fats, and other nutrients, students may have difficulty understanding and applying this information when making food choices. Food labelling education provides an opportunity to improve students' ability to interpret nutrition information and use it when selecting healthier foods. Against this background, this study investigates the effect of food labelling education on healthy food choices among university students in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on the Health Belief Model, Theory of Planned Behavior, and Health Literacy Framework. The Health Belief Model explains how students' perceptions of the health risks associated with unhealthy diets, perceived benefits of healthy food choices, perceived barriers, and cues to action may influence their responses to food labels. The Theory of Planned Behavior explains how students' attitudes toward healthy eating, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control influence their intentions and actual food choices. The Health Literacy Framework emphasizes students' ability to access, understand, evaluate, and apply nutrition information when making food-related decisions. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how food labelling education may influence healthy food choices among university students in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental or analytical cross-sectional research design. The study population will comprise undergraduate students enrolled in selected public and private universities across Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select geopolitical zones, states, universities, faculties or departments, and eligible students. Food labelling education will be assessed using indicators such as exposure to structured food-label education, understanding of serving sizes, calorie information, sugar content, sodium content, fat content, ingredient lists, nutrient claims, expiry dates, portion information, and comparison of similar food products. Healthy food choices will be assessed using indicators such as selection of foods with lower levels of sugar, sodium, and unhealthy fats, preference for nutrient-dense foods, comparison of food labels before purchase, reduced selection of highly processed foods, healthier beverage choices, appropriate portion selection, and overall healthy food-selection patterns. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires, validated food-label knowledge and interpretation instruments, food-choice assessment tools, simulated purchasing tasks, and relevant educational programme records. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize participants' characteristics, exposure to food labelling education, food-label knowledge, and food-choice patterns. Inferential statistical techniques, including chi-square tests, t-tests, correlation analysis, and logistic or multiple regression analysis where appropriate, will be used to determine the effect of food labelling education on healthy food choices. Where a quasi-experimental design is adopted, food-label knowledge and food-choice scores before and after the educational intervention may be compared to determine changes associated with the programme. Diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability, validity, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that food labelling education has a significant positive effect on healthy food choices among university students in Nigeria. Students exposed to structured and practical food labelling education are expected to demonstrate improved ability to interpret nutrition information and make healthier food selections compared with students without similar educational exposure. Education may improve students' understanding of serving sizes, sugar, sodium, fat, calorie, and ingredient information and encourage them to compare products before purchase. Practical demonstrations using commonly available packaged foods may further improve students' confidence in interpreting labels and applying the information to everyday food decisions. However, food prices, taste preferences, brand loyalty, availability of healthier alternatives, peer influence, limited nutrition knowledge, academic schedules, and students' financial circumstances may influence their ability to consistently make healthier choices. The study therefore expects accessible, practical, and contextually appropriate food labelling education to contribute significantly to improved healthy food choices among university students in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on food labelling education, healthy food choices, nutrition literacy, university student nutrition, food-label interpretation, healthy eating, consumer behaviour, nutrition education, and public health in Nigeria. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Federal Ministry of Education, National Universities Commission, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, universities, nutritionists, dietitians, student health centres, food retailers, public health practitioners, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for improving nutrition literacy among young adults. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for integrating food-label education into university health promotion programmes, improving students' nutrition literacy, providing practical food-label interpretation training, promoting healthier food environments on university campuses, and strengthening nutrition education aimed at preventing diet-related non-communicable diseases among young adults in Nigeria.

Keywords: Food labelling education, healthy food choices, university students, nutrition literacy, food-label interpretation, nutrition education, healthy eating, consumer behaviour, packaged foods, non-communicable disease prevention, Nigeria, public health.