Evaluating Consumer Usage of Nutritional Labeling: The Influence of Socio-Economic Characteristics

and Beus, 1992), and exhibit a higher willingness-to-pay for food safety risk reduction
(Huang, 1993). Although women have more fully entered the work force, they remain
more active in deciding and preparing what American families eat. In the majority of
U.S. households, women remain the primary grocery shopper and women do
approximately 90% of the cooking (Senaur). Female-headed single parent households
also grew by 36 percent between 1980 and 1990 (Waldrop and Exeter, 1990).
Conceptually, this fundamental gender difference is consistent with the estimated
differential in label usage. Because they are more likely to be frequent food shoppers
and because they are more likely to purchase larger quantities of food per supermarket
visit, females are generally more frequent users of nutritional labels than males.
Conversely, males are more likely to purchase food only for themselves and more likely
to purchase only a few items at a time rather than do large weekly shopping.

Guthrie et al., and Feick, Herrmann, and Warland, found that households with more
than one inhabitant were more likely to make use of nutritional labeling. Similarly,
households with young children were more likely to be label users. Arguments have
been made to suggest that those who are responsible for preparing meals for others
may be more concerned about food safety issues. This hypothesis is consistent with
the findings of previous studies. However, other researchers have proposed that larger
household size should lead to diminished availability of time and therefore should be
negatively correlated with label usage.

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