Climate Impact Label Design and Fast-Food Meal Selection

NCT06678178 | Completed Results

• 2 other identifiers: IRB000304191R01DK139327-01
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 6,622
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The primary objective of this study is to test the relative effects of climate-impact menu label designs on the healthfulness of consumers' fast-food meal choices. Participants will complete a hypothetical online meal ordering task using a survey which emulates the online menu of a burger restaurant chain. Participants will be randomized for exposure to menus featuring one of five labeling conditions. Secondary objectives include examining total greenhouse gas emissions per meal order and, through a post-order survey, perception of labels between the conditions.

Conditions

Food Selection

Keywords

food labeling; climate labeling; choice behavior

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Modified Nutrient Profile Index Score

  The primary outcome measure will be the healthfulness of the fast-food meal selections, measured with a modified Nutrient Profile Index (NPI) score. NPI scores are based on the United Kingdom (UK) Ofcom Nutrient Profiling Model, which is used to score individual foods in the UK to determine which ones can be marketed to children. The NPI is a 0 to 100-point score for foods; scores \>=64 are considered healthy. NPI awards points from nutrients to encourage (e.g., fiber, protein) and nutrients of concern (e.g., sodium, sugar) per 100 grams. The investigators will generate a modified NPI score to evaluate the healthfulness of full meals comprised of multiple food items. This measure will be determined by calculating the weighted mean NPI score of all food items selected per meal, with each item's NPI score weighted by its proportionate contribution of mass in grams to the total mass of the meal.

  approximately 1 minute

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Total Greenhouse Gas Emissions as Assessed by Cumulative Total Kilograms of Carbon Equivalent (kgCO2e) Per Kilogram

  approximately 1 minute

• Perceived Message Effectiveness (PME) as Assessed by the University of North Carolina (UNC) PME Scale

  approximately 1 minute

• Total Energy (Calories) Selected

  approximately 1 minute

• Number of Participants Who Selected Sugar-sweetened Beverage

  approximately 1 minute

Study Arms (5)

Control (QR) Labels

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

A black label featuring a QR code and white text that reads "SCAN HERE" will be placed beneath all main menu items. Explanatory text describing the label's meaning will be displayed at the top of the menu.

Behavioral: Control (QR) Labels

Warning High Climate Impact Labels

EXPERIMENTAL

A red icon-plus-text label that reads "WARNING: HIGH CLIMATE IMPACT" in white text will be placed beneath main menu items with a high climate impact using a predetermined threshold of estimated greenhouse gas emissions set at \>=9.2 kgCO2e. Labels will include a white globe icon directly preceding the label text. Explanatory text describing the label's meaning will be displayed at the top of the menu.

Behavioral: Warning High Climate Impact Labels

Traffic Light Labels

EXPERIMENTAL

Traffic Light labels will be placed beneath all main menu items. Using predetermined estimated greenhouse gas emission thresholds, each item will be assigned one of three icon-plus-text labels within this scheme: low-, medium-, or high-impact label, set in kgCO2e at \<2.6, \>=2.6 \& \<9.2, and \>=9.2, respectively. Each will read, "HIGH CLIMATE IMPACT" within a red label, "MED. CLIMATE IMPACT" in a yellow label, and "LOW CLIMATE IMPACT" in a green label. Text for all labels written in white, and a white globe icon will precede the text. Explanatory text describing the meaning of the labels will be displayed at the top of the menu.

Behavioral: Traffic Light Labels

Climate Grade Labels

EXPERIMENTAL

Climate Grade labels will be placed beneath all main menu items, using predetermined estimated greenhouse gas emission thresholds to assign one of five icon-plus-text labels which indicate a specific climate impact grade (A, B, C, D, and F). Thresholds are set in kgCO2e as follows: \[A\] \<1.7, \[B\] \>=1.7 \& \<2.6, \[C\] \>=2.6 \& \<9.2, \[D\] \>=9.2 \& \<28, \[F\] \>=28. All labels are solid black with a white globe icon followed by white text which reads "CLIMATE GRADE". On the left side of each label, a grade is displayed, capitalized and in a white font within a solid-colored box. The color of the box corresponds with each letter grade: A = dark green, B = light green, C = yellow, D = orange, F = red. Beneath the letter grade, a gradient of all possible grades is displayed horizontally in smaller font, each grade atop a small solid box in the respective grade color. Explanatory text describing the meaning of the labels will be displayed at the top of the menu.

Behavioral: Climate Grade Labels

Numeric Carbon Footprint Labels

EXPERIMENTAL

Numeric Carbon Footprint labels will be placed beneath all main menu items and display the estimated greenhouse gas emissions in kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalents (kgCO2e) for each item. All labels have a solid black background and an icon-plus-text design. A white globe icon is followed by text stating the value of the items estimated emissions and the unit "kgCO2e". Explanatory text describing the meaning of the labels will be displayed at the top of the menu.

Behavioral: Numeric Carbon Footprint Labels

Interventions

Control (QR) Labels BEHAVIORAL

Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu including main, side, dessert, and drink items. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. For main items only, Control (QR) labels will be displayed beneath each item. Participants will be instructed to select up to 4 menu items for a hypothetical meal order.

Control (QR) Labels

Traffic Light Labels BEHAVIORAL

Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu including main, side, dessert, and drink items. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. For main items only, Traffic Light labels will be displayed beneath each item. Participants will be instructed to select up to 4 menu items for a hypothetical meal order.

Traffic Light Labels

Climate Grade Labels BEHAVIORAL

Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu including main, side, dessert, and drink items. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. For main items only, Climate Grade labels will be displayed beneath each item. Participants will be instructed to select up to 4 menu items for a hypothetical meal order.

Climate Grade Labels

Numeric Carbon Footprint Labels BEHAVIORAL

Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu including main, side, dessert, and drink items. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. For main items only, Numeric Carbon Footprint labels will be displayed beneath each item. Participants will be instructed to select up to 4 menu items for a hypothetical meal order.

Numeric Carbon Footprint Labels

Warning High Climate Impact Labels BEHAVIORAL

Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu including main, side, dessert, and drink items. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. For main items only, Warning High Climate Impact labels will be displayed beneath select items. Participants will be instructed to select up to 4 menu items for a hypothetical meal order.

Warning High Climate Impact Labels

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

• years of age or older
• Member of the CloudResearch panel
• Residing in the United States

You may not qualify if:

• Under 18 years of age
• Not residing in the United States
• Completed the survey implausibly quick based on the distribution of the time to complete the survey among all participants
• Failed the built-in Qualtrics survey fraud detection measures

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK): collaborator
• Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH): collaborator
• University of Pennsylvania: collaborator
• Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: lead
• University of California, Davis: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Food Preferences

Interventions

Product Labeling

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Feeding Behavior; Behavior

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Product Packaging; Industry; Technology, Industry, and Agriculture

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Julia Wolfson
• Organization: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

jwolfso7@jhu.edu

213-359-2915

Study Officials

• Julia Wolfson, PHD MPP

  Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

  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: Participants will be randomized to view a fast-food menu with one of five labeling schemes applied: (1) a QR code on all items (control); (2) a high climate impact warning label on high impact items; (3) traffic light labeling on all items by level of impact; (4) climate grade labels on all items by level of impact; and (5) numeric labels on all items. All fast-food menus will include main items, sides, desserts, and drinks. Labels will only appear alongside main menu items and will be assigned using thresholds for greenhouse gas emissions set a priori in kilograms of CO2 equivalent per kilogram of food. Participants will be instructed to select a hypothetical lunch meal order. The investigators will record participant meal selections and, using publicly available nutritional information for each item selected, calculate a score of overall meal healthfulness.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 5, 2024
• First Posted: November 7, 2024
• Study Start: December 2, 2024
• Primary Completion: December 6, 2024
• Study Completion: December 6, 2024
• Last Updated: January 6, 2026
• Results First Posted: January 6, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-01

Locations

US (1)