Media Impact of Nutrition Information on Food Choice

This study estimated the impact of nutrition information provided by popular media on consumers’ purchases in U.S. grocery stores, taking omega-3 fortified eggs as an example. The media index was constructed from multiple information sources by utilizing computer-coded content analysis. Their probability of purchasing omega-3 eggs between 1998 and 2007 based on household-level scanner data was analyzed by logistic regression models to incorporate elements of information effects. The results showed the significant positive impact of nutritional information from the popular media on consumers’ food choices, thus publishing in popular media can be an effective communication approach to promote consumers’ health.