Effects of Sugary Drinks Counter-marketing Messages

NCT05953194 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 69580a
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 2,184
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study aims to examine consumer responses to traditional and counter-marketing messages discouraging sugary drink consumption, including effects on intentions to consume sugary drinks and perceived weight stigma. Because prior research has suggested that counter-marketing may be especially effective among younger populations, the investigators will examine effects overall and by age group (young adults \[ages 18-29 years\] vs. middle and older adults \[ages 30+ years\]).

Conditions

Obesity; Weight Prejudice; Weight Gain; Dietary Habits

Keywords

counter-marketing; health communication; sugar sweetened beverage

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Intentions to consume sugary drinks

  We will assess intentions to consume sugary drinks using 2 items: "In the next week, I plan to drink sugary drinks like sodas, sports drinks, or fruit drinks," and "In the next week, I am likely to drink sugar-sweetened beverages like sodas, sports drinks, or fruit drinks". Response options to both items will use a 5-point Likert scale: the first item's response options will range from "definitely not" (1) to "definitely yes" (5), and the second item's response options will range from "not at all likely" (1) to "extremely likely" (5). We will average responses to the 2 items.

  The survey will take up to 20 minutes

Secondary Outcomes (6)

• Perceived message effectiveness for discouraging sugary drink consumption

  The survey will take up to 20 minutes

• Negative feelings toward drinking sugary drinks

  The survey will take up to 20 minutes

• Anticipated social interactions

  The survey will take up to 20 minutes

• Attitudes toward sugary drink companies

  The survey will take up to 20 minutes

• Perceived obesity stigma

  The survey will take up to 20 minutes

Study Arms (3)

Control (neutral) messages

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants will view control messages approximately matched to the intervention messages on length, but discussing a neutral topic unrelated to sugary drinks (safe driving). Participants will view a total of 4 messages developed for this arm.

Behavioral: Exposure to control (neutral) messages

Traditional health messages

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will view traditional health messages focused on the health consequences of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, using text adapted from prior sugary drink campaigns. Participants will view a total of 4 messages developed for this arm.

Behavioral: Exposure to traditional health messages

Counter-marketing messages

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will view counter-marketing messages about sugary drinks that incorporate principles of effective counter-marketing campaigns, including describing industry manipulation of consumers, appealing to emotions (especially anger), describing health consequences, and criticizing the industry for demographic targeting. Messages include text adapted from prior counter-marketing campaigns. Participants will view a total of 4 messages developed for this arm.

Behavioral: Exposure to counter-marketing messages

Interventions

Exposure to counter-marketing messages BEHAVIORAL

Counter-marketing messages about sugary drinks that incorporate principles of effective counter-marketing campaigns, including describing industry manipulation of consumers, appealing to emotions (especially anger), describing health consequences, and criticizing the industry for demographic targeting. Messages include text adapted from prior counter-marketing campaigns. Participants will view a total of 4 messages developed for this arm.

Counter-marketing messages

Exposure to traditional health messages BEHAVIORAL

Traditional health messages focused on the health consequences of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, using text adapted from prior sugary drink campaigns. Participants will view a total of 4 messages developed for this arm.

Traditional health messages

Exposure to control (neutral) messages BEHAVIORAL

Control messages approximately matched to the intervention messages on length, but discussing a neutral topic unrelated to sugary drinks (safe driving). Participants will view a total of 4 messages developed for this arm.

Control (neutral) messages

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

• years old or older

You may not qualify if:

• Less than 18 years old

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Stanford University: lead
• Harvard Pilgrim Health Care: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Stanford School of Medicine

Palo Alto, California, 94304, United States

Location

Related Publications (10)

• Kraak VI, Consavage Stanley K, Harrigan PB, Zhou M. How have media campaigns been used to promote and discourage healthy and unhealthy beverages in the United States? A systematic scoping review to inform future research to reduce sugary beverage health risks. Obes Rev. 2022 May;23(5):e13425. doi: 10.1111/obr.13425. Epub 2022 Feb 9.

  PMID: 35142020 BACKGROUND

• Boles M, Adams A, Gredler A, Manhas S. Ability of a mass media campaign to influence knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors about sugary drinks and obesity. Prev Med. 2014 Oct;67 Suppl 1:S40-5. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2014.07.023. Epub 2014 Jul 24.

  PMID: 25066020 BACKGROUND

• Kite J, Grunseit A, Bohn-Goldbaum E, Bellew B, Carroll T, Bauman A. A Systematic Search and Review of Adult-Targeted Overweight and Obesity Prevention Mass Media Campaigns and Their Evaluation: 2000-2017. J Health Commun. 2018;23(2):207-232. doi: 10.1080/10810730.2018.1423651. Epub 2018 Jan 16.

  PMID: 29336684 BACKGROUND

• Te V, Ford P, Schubert L. Exploring social media campaigns against sugar-sweetened beverage consumption: A systematic search. Schumacher U, ed. Cogent Medicine. 2019;6(1):1607432. doi:10.1080/2331205X.2019.1607432

  BACKGROUND

• Bryan CJ, Yeager DS, Hinojosa CP. A values-alignment intervention protects adolescents from the effects of food marketing. Nat Hum Behav. 2019 Jun;3(6):596-603. doi: 10.1038/s41562-019-0586-6. Epub 2019 Apr 15.

  PMID: 30988478 BACKGROUND

• Crandall CS, Reser AH. Attributions and Weight-Based Prejudice. In: Brownell K, Puhl R, Schwartz M, Rudd L, eds. Weight Bias: Nature, Consequences, and Remedies. Guilford Publications; 2005:83-96.

  BACKGROUND

• Puhl RM, Schwartz MB, Brownell KD. Impact of perceived consensus on stereotypes about obese people: a new approach for reducing bias. Health Psychol. 2005 Sep;24(5):517-25. doi: 10.1037/0278-6133.24.5.517.

  PMID: 16162046 BACKGROUND

• Dixon H, Scully M, Gascoyne C, Wakefield M. Can counter-advertising diminish persuasive effects of conventional and pseudo-healthy unhealthy food product advertising on parents?: an experimental study. BMC Public Health. 2020 Nov 25;20(1):1781. doi: 10.1186/s12889-020-09881-1.

  PMID: 33238936 BACKGROUND

• Krieger J, Kwon T, Ruiz R, Walkinshaw LP, Yan J, Roberto CA. Countermarketing About Fruit Drinks, Alone or With Water Promotion: A 2019 Randomized Controlled Trial in Latinx Parents. Am J Public Health. 2021 Nov;111(11):1997-2007. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2021.306488. Epub 2021 Oct 28.

  PMID: 34709859 BACKGROUND

• Grummon AH, Zeitlin AB, Lee CJY, Hall MG, Collis C, Cleveland LP, Petimar J. Countermarketing Versus Health Education Messages About Sugar-Sweetened Beverages: An Online Randomized Controlled Trial of US Adults. Am J Public Health. 2024 Dec;114(12):1354-1364. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2024.307853. Epub 2024 Oct 3.

  PMID: 39361914 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Obesity; Weight Prejudice; Weight Gain; Feeding Behavior

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Overweight; Overnutrition; Nutrition Disorders; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Body Weight; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Prejudice; Social Behavior; Behavior; Body Weight Changes; Behavior, Animal

Study Officials

• Anna H Grummon, PhD

  Stanford School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 11, 2023
• First Posted: July 20, 2023
• Study Start: August 7, 2023
• Primary Completion: August 7, 2023
• Study Completion: August 7, 2023
• Last Updated: February 28, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: SAP, ANALYTIC CODE
• Time Frame: Within 6 months of publication
• Access Criteria: There will be no access criteria; information will be publicly available. We plan to make these resources available on ResearchBox.

Locations

US (1)