Online Study of the Effects of Sugary Drink Warning Labels on Consumption

NCT05079477 | Completed Results DMC

• 2 other identifiers: 844786R01DK111558
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 216
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The aim of this study is to determine the degree to which sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) warning labels increase consumers' knowledge about the potential health harms of SSBs and reduce SSB purchases and consumption. 216 racially and ethnically diverse parents of children 6-11 years old will be recruited to buy snacks and beverages for four weeks via an online store that ships participants their purchases. Participants will be randomized to either 1) calorie labels (control); or 2) sugar graphic warning labels. The investigators hypothesize that sugar graphic warning labels displayed in an online store in weeks 2-4 will lead to the greatest reductions from week 1 across both primary outcomes compared to the control group that will only see calorie labels.

Conditions

Food Preferences

Keywords

food labeling; child; sugar-sweetened beverages; eating; drinking; choice behavior

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Beverage Calories Purchased, Week 1

  Logged beverage calories/100mL purchased. Number of servings per item and number of items per package varied by product; therefore, calorie amounts were standardized to calories/100mL for beverages.

  one week

• Beverage Calories Purchased, Weeks 2-4

  Logged average beverage calories/100mL purchased per week over Weeks 2-4. Number of servings per item and number of items per package varied by product; therefore, calorie amounts were standardized to calories/100mL for beverages.

  three weeks

• Beverage Added Sugars Purchased, Week 1

  Beverage grams of added sugars/100mL purchased. Number of servings per item and number of items per package varied by product; therefore, added sugar amounts were standardized to grams of added sugar/100mL for beverages.

  one week

• Beverage Added Sugars Purchased, Weeks 2-4

  Average beverage grams of added sugars/100mL purchased per week over Weeks 2-4. Number of servings per item and number of items per package varied by product; therefore, added sugar amounts were standardized to grams of added sugar/100mL for beverages.

  three weeks

Secondary Outcomes (40)

• Number Purchasing a Sweetened Beverage, Week 1

  one week

• Number Purchasing a Sweetened Beverage, Weeks 2-4

  three weeks

• Snack Calories Purchased, Week 1

  one week

• Snack Calories Purchased, Weeks 2-4

  three weeks

• Snack Added Sugars Purchased, Week 1

  one week

Study Arms (2)

Calorie label

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Calorie label (control) will display a calories per package label on all beverages, not just sugary drinks. This is modeled after the American Beverage Association's current "Clear on Calories" labels. Additionally, all snack items will have a calories per serving label.

Behavioral: Exposure to calorie information

Sugar graphic warning label

EXPERIMENTAL

All products in this arm will also have calorie labels. Beverages with added sugar will also have sugar graphic warning labels with the text: "WARNING: drinking beverages with added sugars contributes to obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay" along with graphics depicting the amount of sugar in the beverage.

Behavioral: Exposure to sugar-sweetened beverage warning labels; Behavioral: Exposure to calorie information

Interventions

Exposure to sugar-sweetened beverage warning labels BEHAVIORAL

Graphic images of the amount of sugar (randomly assigned teaspoons, packets, or cubes) and text warning labels

Sugar graphic warning label

Exposure to calorie information BEHAVIORAL

Calories for all beverages and foods

Calorie label; Sugar graphic warning label

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• a primary caregiver of a child 6-to-11 years old;
• \>=18 years old;
• can read and speak English;
• primary grocery shopper for their household;
• have regular Internet access; and
• report that the oldest of their children between 6 and 11 years old is consuming sugar sweetened beverages at least twelve times per month or approximately three times a week

You may not qualify if:

• not a primary caregiver of a child 6-to-11 years old;
• \<18 years old;
• cannot read and/or speak English;
• not the primary grocery shopper for their household;
• does not have regular Internet access; and
• does not report that the oldest of their children between 6 and 11 years old is consuming sugar sweetened beverages at least twelve times per month or approximately three times a week

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Pennsylvania: lead
• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Food Preferences

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Feeding Behavior; Behavior

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Dr. Laura Gibson
• Organization: University of Pennsylvania

gibla@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

215-898-7093

Study Officials

• Christina A Roberto, PhD

  University of Pennsylvania

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: Yes

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: This randomized, controlled online study will capture beverage and snack purchases from an online store. These products will be mailed to participants for each of the 4 shopping weeks. Participants' consumption will be measured at the beginning and end of the study. As this is a within-participant study, consumption for each arm will be compared to baseline for that participant (Week 1 shopping).

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 15, 2021
• First Posted: October 15, 2021
• Study Start: October 6, 2021
• Primary Completion: January 17, 2023
• Study Completion: January 17, 2023
• Last Updated: April 4, 2024
• Results First Posted: April 4, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-03

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: SAP
• Time Frame: starting 6 months after publication
• Access Criteria: The PI will review requests to use de-identified study data.

Locations

US (1)