Visual Attention to Text and Pictorial Food Labels: An Eye Tracking Experiment

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Health Behavior
• Interventions: Behavioral: Text only sodium label; Behavioral: Icon sodium label; Behavioral: Pictorial sodium label; Behavioral: Barcode label

• Registration Number: NCT05958888
• Lead Sponsor: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Brief Summary

The goal of this study is to examine attention elicited by icon, text-only, and control front-of-package food labels. The study also aims to explore whether English language proficiency moderates the impact of icon vs. text-only labels on attention.

Detailed Description

In this study, participants will attend one in-person visit, lasting approximately 15 minutes after signing informed consent. First participants will complete an eye tracking task where their attention to study stimuli is measured objectively via an eye tracker (i.e., eye tracking task). The eye tracking task will take \~5 minutes. Then, participants will complete a brief \~10 minute self-administered survey on a computer.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2023-07-12
• Study First Submitted QC: 2023-07-20
• Study First Posted: 2023-07-25
• Study Start: 2023-08-02
• Primary Completion: 2023-09-29
• Study Completion: 2023-09-29
• Status Verified: 2023-10
• Results First Submitted: 2024-07-08
• Results First Submitted QC: 2024-08-09
• Last Update Submitted: 2024-08-09
• Results First Posted: 2024-08-13
• Last Update Posted: 2024-08-13

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 63

Inclusion Criteria

• Adult aged 18 or older
• Self-identifies as Hispanic or Latino

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Exclusion Criteria

• Less than 18 years old
• Does not identify as Hispanic or Latino
• Has one of the following conditions: (Wears bifocals, glaucoma, permanently dilated pupils, eye implants [artificial lenses, not contact lenses], less than 2 eyes, or blindness)

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Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Front of package food label	Icon sodium label	4 labels (3 sodium labels, 1 control barcode label) are shown on an image of a soup can
Front of package food label	Pictorial sodium label	4 labels (3 sodium labels, 1 control barcode label) are shown on an image of a soup can
Front of package food label	Barcode label	4 labels (3 sodium labels, 1 control barcode label) are shown on an image of a soup can
Front of package food label	Text only sodium label	4 labels (3 sodium labels, 1 control barcode label) are shown on an image of a soup can

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Amount of Time Spent Looking at the Front-of-package Sodium Label (i.e., Dwell Time)	During ~5-minute eye tracking task, as part of a one-time study visit lasting ~30 minutes	This outcome will be measured using eye tracking technology.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Time to First Fixation on the Front-of-package Sodium Label	During ~5-minute eye tracking task, as part of a one-time study visit lasting ~30 minutes	This outcome will be measured using eye tracking technology.
Perceived Message Effectiveness of the Front-of-package Sodium Label	During ~10 minute online survey, as part of one-time study visit lasting ~30 minutes	Assessed with 3 items for each label type. Response options will range from 1 to 5. Higher scores indicate greater perceived message effectiveness.
Number of Times Looking at the Front-of-package Sodium Label (i.e., Fixation Count)	During ~5-minute eye tracking task, as part of a one-time study visit lasting ~30 minutes	This outcome will be measured using eye tracking technology.
Understandability of Front-of-package Sodium Label	During ~10 minute online survey, as part of one-time study visit lasting ~30 minutes	1 item for each label type. Response options will range from 1 to 5. Higher scores indicate more understandability.
Dwell Time on "Natural" Claim	During ~5-minute eye tracking task, as part of a one-time study visit lasting ~30 minutes	This outcome will be measured using eye tracking technology.
Self-reported Attention to the Front-of-package Sodium Label	During ~10 minute online survey, as part of one-time study visit lasting ~30 minutes	Assessed with 1 item for each label type. Response options will range from 1 to 5. Higher scores indicate more attention.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of North Carolina Chapel Hill; 🇺🇸 Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States