ArticleBMC public health2025
Understanding consumer response to front-of-package labeling: insights from a nationwide survey in Sri Lanka.
Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundNon-communicable diseases are the leading cause of global mortality, with unhealthy diets being a significant risk factor. Front-of-package labelling, particularly the traffic light labeling system, has been proposed as a public health intervention to promote healthier dietary choices. This study investigated consumer awareness, understanding, and responses to the traffic light labeling system in Sri Lanka, where non-communicable diseases account for 83% of deaths.
methodsThis descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2022 and April 2023 and involved 2,569 participants from 25 districts in Sri Lanka. Multistage cluster sampling was performed to ensure the representativeness of the sample. Data were collected via a self-administered online questionnaire in Sinhala, English, and Tamil, which assessed sociodemographic factors, knowledge, attitudes, and purchasing behaviours related to the traffic light labeling system. Ordinal regression analysis was used to identify the factors influencing adherence to traffic-light system practices.
resultsThe study revealed a high awareness of the traffic light labeling system, with 89.8% of the participants recognising the labelling system. Over 80% of the participants correctly identified the colour codes (red, amber, and green) associated with high, medium, and low levels of sugar, salt, and fat. The participants expressed satisfaction with the clarity, adequacy, and helpfulness of the traffic-light system information. Ordinal regression analysis indicated that Sinhalese ethnicity, age ≥ 30 years, higher household income (> Rs. 50,000), and higher education levels were positively associated with adherence to the TLS best practices. Positive attitudes toward and good knowledge of the TLS significantly influenced purchasing behaviour.
conclusionsThese findings suggest that the traffic light system is an effective tool for guiding healthier food choices among Sri Lankan consumers. However, targeted educational campaigns are needed to address knowledge gaps, particularly among older, lower-income, and less-educated populations. Continuous evaluation and refinement of the traffic light labeling system are recommended to maintain its efficacy and relevance in promoting public health.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.