• Pooja S Tandon, Chuan Zhou, Nadine L Chan, Paula Lozano, Sarah C Couch, Karen Glanz, James Krieger, and Brian E Saelens.
• Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, University of Washington, USA. pooja@uw.edu
• Am J Prev Med. 2011 Oct 1; 41 (4): 434438434-8.

BackgroundNutrition labeling of menus has been promoted as a means for helping consumers make healthier food choices at restaurants. As part of national health reform, chain restaurants will be required to post nutrition information at point-of-purchase, but more evidence regarding the impact of these regulations, particularly in children, is needed.PurposeTo determine whether nutrition labeling on restaurant menus results in a lower number of calories purchased by children and their parents.MethodsA prospective cohort study compared restaurant receipts of those aged 6-11 years and their parents before and after a menu-labeling regulation in Seattle/King County (S/KC) (n=75), with those from a comparison sample in nonregulated San Diego County (SDC) (n=58). Data were collected in 2008 and 2009 and analyzed in 2010.ResultsIn S/KC, there was a significant increase from pre- to post-regulation (44% vs 87%) in parents seeing nutrition information, with no change in SDC (40% vs 34%). Average calories purchased for children did not change in either county (823 vs 822 in S/KC, 984 vs 949 in SDC). There was an approximately 100-calorie decrease for the parents postregulation in both counties (823 vs 720 in S/KC, 895 vs 789 in SDC), but no difference between counties.ConclusionsA restaurant menu-labeling regulation increased parents' nutrition information awareness but did not decrease calories purchased for either children or parents.Copyright © 2011 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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