Using Video Gaming to Evaluate Front of Pack Labeling With Children

NCT03482336 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 13-678
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 80
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Regulated nutrition information is complex, using decimal places and percentages. Front of pack (FOP) labels provide simplified nutrition information on the front of packages. It has been suggested that the traditional approach to nutrition labeling is difficult for children to use; this is unfortunate as childhood is a critical time for developing long-lasting eating habits and children influence purchase decisions. Materials and Methods Children aged 6-10 played a video game in which participants fed "Munchy Monster" the healthier of two cereal products presented on a computer screen. Across trials the FOP format varied in a 2 (color/no color) x 2 (facial emotion icon/no facial icon) factorial design. Within a trial both cereals presented the same FOP format, with one cereal healthier than the other. Results Data suggest that color coding and/or facial icon significantly benefits selection accuracy and speed, particularly for the youngest children. Minimal training (awareness of the FOPs existence and that it might contain nutrition information) further improved accuracy and speed of responses. Conclusions FOPs that leverage visual indicators assist even young children in assessing the nutritional value of a product.

Conditions

Child Obesity

Keywords

labeling; Front of pack; nutrition; nutrition facts panel

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Proportion of Correct selections

  The correct selection of the healthier stimulus

  During the one hour test period

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Time to correct selection

  During the one hour test period

Study Arms (2)

Uninstructed Group

OTHER

For the first block of participants recruited (39, one of which withdrew from boredom), no overt reference was made regarding the FOP labels that were present on the images that participants viewed during the course of the video game. Participants comprising this block were referred to as "uninstructed."

Other: Four FOP label designs

Minimally trained

OTHER

Realizing that subjects might not use the FOP during decision making when not informed that it contained nutrition information, we conducted a second experiment (N= 41) which provided minimal information about the FOP. These subjects (the "minimally instructed" group) were provided with further instruction. At the beginning of the experiment, in addition to being shown the basic premise of the game and told that Munchy preferred to eat healthy options, the researcher pointed to one of the FOPs and told children "this information might be helpful when you decide what's healthy."

Other: Four FOP label designs

Interventions

Four FOP label designs OTHER

Color (present and absent) were crossed with facial icon (present and absent) for a total of four FOP label treatments. For each trial, both packages had the same FOP treatment, but one appeared at a "healthy level" while the second "unhealthy." Subjects were asked to choose the healthier option as quickly as possible. Accuracy and speed to correct selection both served as dependent variables.

Also known as: color plus facial icon, no color plus facial icon, color plus no facial icon, no color plus no facial icon

Minimally trained; Uninstructed Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 6 Years - 10 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• years of age
• Legally sighted
• have parent or legal guardian present (written consent of parent)
• have transportation to the test site
• be willing to share contact information for reminders be willing to have deidentified data stored provide written or verbal assent (depending on the age of the child)

You may not qualify if:

• legally blind
• no assent

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Michigan State University: lead
• United States Department of Agriculture (USDA): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

School of Packaging

East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Pediatric Obesity

Interventions

Color

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Obesity; Overweight; Overnutrition; Nutrition Disorders; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Body Weight; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Light; Optical Phenomena; Physical Phenomena

Study Officials

• Mark Becker, PhD

  Michigan State University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Masking Details: Participants were handled differently in the methods. For the first block of participants, the FOP was not pointed out. For the second block, researchers merely pointed to the FOP and indicated that it might be helpful in decision making.
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Model Details: Two blocks of participants were recruited. One block received no information regarding the FOP; for the second block, researchers pointed to an FOP and suggested that the information might be helpful in deciding which product was healthier.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 18, 2017
• First Posted: March 29, 2018
• Study Start: February 2, 2016
• Primary Completion: April 12, 2016
• Study Completion: April 12, 2016
• Last Updated: March 29, 2018

Record last verified: 2018-03

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: ANALYTIC CODE
• Time Frame: Indefinitely upon publication
• Access Criteria: will be shared as deidentified file upon publication

Locations

US (1)