Parent Experiences With Warning Labels After Policy Implementation in Uruguay

Abstract

Objective: To explore the perception and experiences of parents of children and adolescents during the first year of the mandatory implementation of nutritional warning labels in Uruguay.

Design: Qualitative research based on semistructured interviews.

Setting: Montevideo, Uruguay.

Participants: Twenty-eight parents of children and adolescents.

Phenomenon of interest: Perception of and experiences with warning labels, a front-of-pack nutrition labeling scheme that has become increasingly popular in Latin America.

Analysis: Content analysis of the transcripts based on a deductive-inductive approach.

Results: Interview transcripts evidenced high awareness, acceptance, and understanding of warning labels among parents of children and adolescents. Most participants reported considering warnings for decision making and changing their purchase decisions because of their implementation, particularly when choosing foods for their children. They reported their children were aware of and understood warnings but did not tend to take them into account when choosing foods.

Conclusions and implications: Results from the present work contribute to the growing body of literature showing the effectiveness of warning labels. Lack of interest or perceived benefits and structural barriers emerged as key motives for not using the warnings when making purchasing decisions, suggesting the need to develop additional strategies to increase policy effectiveness.

Keywords: front-of-pack; nutrition labeling; public policy; qualitative research.