{
  "abstract": "Background/Objectives: Pakistan has not adopted front-of-package warning labels, and no validated, task-based instrument had previously measured nutrition label literacy among Pakistani adults. This study aimed to measure nutrition label literacy among adult grocery consumers in Islamabad, describe performance on individual tasks, identify socio-demographic correlates, and examine whether self-reported barriers differ by measured literacy. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we recruited 400 adult consumers (73.0% response rate) at six retail sites spanning three socioeconomic tiers in Islamabad Capital Territory, Pakistan, using systematic intercept sampling. Label literacy was measured with a culturally adapted, bilingual Urdu/English version of the Newest Vital Sign (NVS-PK). Socio-demographic correlates were examined with multiple linear and binary logistic regression, and self-reported barriers were ranked and compared across literacy categories. Results: Mean NVS-PK score was 1.89 of 6 (SD = 1.71); 81.0% of participants scored in the limited-or-marginal range and only 19.0% reached adequate literacy. Performance was weakest on arithmetic tasks (14.8–29.2% correct) and strongest on a document-based allergen-identification task (66.8% correct). Educational attainment was the strongest independent correlate: compared with Intermediate education or below, postgraduate participants scored significantly higher (B = 1.64, 95% CI 1.17–2.10, p < 0.001) and had markedly higher odds of adequate literacy (AOR = 8.72, 95% CI 3.88–19.60, p < 0.001). Technical terminology (70.2%) and time pressure (64.0%) were the most reported barriers to label use. Conclusions: Most adults sampled in Islamabad could not adequately use a standard nutrition label, and the deficit was primarily arithmetic rather than reading.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "School of Public Health, Health Services Academy, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan",
    "Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, NUST School of Health Sciences, National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST), Sector H-12, Islamabad44000, Pakistan",
    "Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK",
    "Institute of Food Science and Technology, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering & Information Technology, Rahim yar Khan 64200, Pakistan",
    "Department of Public Health, PRIME Consulting, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan",
    "NUST School of Health Sciences, National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Sector H-12, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan",
    "Irfan Suat Gunsel Operational Research Institute, Near East University, 99138 Nicosia, Turkey",
    "Advanced Research Centre, European University of Lefke, 99790 Lefke, Northern Cyprus, Turkey",
    "Department of Health Sciences, VIZJA University, 01-043 Warsaw, Poland",
    "Department of Basic Health Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Buraydah 52581, Saudi Arabia",
    "Department of Clinical Nutrition, Medical City, Qassim University, Buraydah 52581, Saudi Arabia"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 9,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Saeed Ahmad Noor",
      "orcid": "0009-0009-7193-3127"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Humaira Mahmood",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-2341-6431"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Abdul Momin Rizwan Ahmad",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-3499-902X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Jamshaid Ibrahim"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Saira Zafar",
      "orcid": "0009-0007-1850-5081"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Syed Hassan Bin Usman Shah"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Juweria Abid",
      "orcid": "0009-0002-2088-6323"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5,
        6,
        7,
        8
      ],
      "name": "Yasir Waheed",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-5789-4215"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        9,
        10
      ],
      "name": "Saleh A. Alsanie",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-8589-9208"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/017729v747549.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3390/nu18213689",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "017729v747549",
  "issns": [
    "2072-6643"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/18/21/3689",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [],
  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-11-07",
  "publisher": "MDPI AG",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/017729v747549.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-10T00:21:40Z",
      "native_id": "10.3390/nu18213689",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/18/21/3689"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "issn:2072-6643",
      "subfield": "nutrition"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Nutrition Label Literacy, Socio-Demographic Correlates, and Perceived Barriers Among Adult Consumers: A Cross-Sectional Study from Islamabad, Pakistan",
  "title_text": "Nutrition Label Literacy, Socio-Demographic Correlates, and Perceived Barriers Among Adult Consumers: A Cross-Sectional Study from Islamabad, Pakistan",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-10T00:21:40Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/017729v747549",
  "venue": "Nutrients",
  "versions": []
}