Do Warning Labels Decrease Soda Purchasing?
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Completed
- Sponsor
- Harvard University
- Enrollment
- 6,000
- Primary Endpoint
- Sweetened beverages purchased
Study Overview
Brief Summary
Investigators will run a field study evaluating the impact different labels have on the purchasing of sugar sweetened beverages. This field study will take place in a hospital cafeteria.
Detailed Description
In a hospital cafeteria investigators will label all sugar sweetened beverages to evaluate their impact on purchasing.
Investigators will collect baseline data for two weeks on beverage sales at the hospital cafe. Following this data collection investigators will introduce a calorie label which reads "Each beverage contains [lower calorie bound]-[upper calorie bound] calories per container. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice but calorie needs vary." These signs will be posted for two weeks and investigators will collect sales data. Following this intervention investigators will remove the signs and collect sales data for two weeks. At the end of this no label period, investigators will introduce the second intervention, a warning label. This label will read "WARNING: Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay." This label will also be posted for two weeks and investigators will collect sales data. Investigators will then remove these signs and collect sales data for two weeks. Finally, investigators will introduce the third intervention: a warning label with graphic labels. This label will read "WARNING: Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, diabetes and tooth decay." However this sign will also include a visual depiction of each health consequence. Investigators will collect sales data for this two week period. After this intervention investigators will collect sales data for an additional two weeks and then administer a brief survey to cafeteria customers to better understand their impressions of the labels.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Crossover
- Primary Purpose
- Treatment
- Masking
- None
Eligibility Criteria
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- •Customers of the hospital cafeteria.
Exclusion Criteria
- Not provided
Arms & Interventions
Calorie Label
Labels will read "[lower calorie bound] - [upper calorie bound] calories per container. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice but calorie needs vary."
Intervention: Label Condition (Other)
Warning Label
Labels will read "WARNING: Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay."
Intervention: Label Condition (Other)
Warning Label with Graphics
Labels will read "WARNING: Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay." These labels will also have graphic depictions of each health condition above the corresponding text.
Intervention: Label Condition (Other)
No label
We will also have a condition where no labels are presented-- business as usual.
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Sweetened beverages purchased
Time Frame: 2 week condition blocks
We will sum the total number of sugar sweetened beverages sold in each condition using the Universal Product Code (UPC) for bottled beverages and syrup weight for fountain beverages.
Secondary Outcomes
- Changes in types of beverages purchased(2 week condition blocks)
- Unsweetened beverages purchased(2 week condition blocks)
- Beverage calories sold(2 week condition blocks)
Investigators
Leslie John
Principal Investigator
Harvard University