Consumer Responses to Alcohol Warnings

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Alcohol Drinking
• Interventions: Behavioral: Mouth cancer warning; Behavioral: Throat cancer warning; Behavioral: Voice box (larynx) warning; Behavioral: Esophagus cancer warning; Behavioral: Liver cancer warning; Behavioral: Colon and rectum cancer warning; Behavioral: Breast cancer; Behavioral: Cancer (generic, not site-specific); Behavioral: Addiction and neurological changes; Behavioral: Hypertension; Behavioral: Liver damage; Behavioral: Harm to fetus; Behavioral: Dementia; Behavioral: Impaired sleep; Behavioral: Drinking guidelines; Behavioral: Control; Behavioral: Road injuries

• Registration Number: NCT06159647
• Lead Sponsor: Stanford University

Brief Summary

The primary objective is to evaluate whether alcohol warnings about different topics elicit higher perceived message effectiveness than control messages. The secondary objective is to evaluate whether alcohol warnings about different topics elicit higher reactance than control messages.

Detailed Description

Participants will complete a within-subjects online randomized experiment in which they will view and rate messages on the risk of alcohol consumption. Participants will view and rate 12 messages total: 10 warning messages and 2 control messages. They will rate each message on perceived message effectiveness (primary outcome) and message reactance (secondary outcome). The 10 warning messages will be about 5 different warning topics (i.e., 2 messages per topic) and the 2 control messages will be about 1 control topic (2 messages per topic). In this within-subjects experiment, the survey will present the topics in random order and the messages within each topic in random order.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2023-11-27
• Study First Submitted QC: 2023-12-05
• Study First Posted: 2023-12-07
• Study Start: 2024-01-18
• Primary Completion: 2024-01-26
• Study Completion: 2024-01-26
• Status Verified: 2024-02
• Last Update Submitted: 2024-02-09
• Last Update Posted: 2024-02-13

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 2522

Inclusion Criteria

• Age 21 and older
• Reside in the United States
• Able to complete a survey in English

Exclusion Criteria

• Under 21 years of age
• Reside outside the United States
• Unable to complete a survey in English

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Alcohol Messages	Addiction and neurological changes	Participants view 12 messages: 10 messages related to health topics (2 messages for each of 5 randomly selected health topics from among all health topics) and 2 control messages.
Alcohol Messages	Hypertension	Participants view 12 messages: 10 messages related to health topics (2 messages for each of 5 randomly selected health topics from among all health topics) and 2 control messages.
Alcohol Messages	Dementia	Participants view 12 messages: 10 messages related to health topics (2 messages for each of 5 randomly selected health topics from among all health topics) and 2 control messages.
Alcohol Messages	Drinking guidelines	Participants view 12 messages: 10 messages related to health topics (2 messages for each of 5 randomly selected health topics from among all health topics) and 2 control messages.
Alcohol Messages	Liver cancer warning	Participants view 12 messages: 10 messages related to health topics (2 messages for each of 5 randomly selected health topics from among all health topics) and 2 control messages.
Alcohol Messages	Colon and rectum cancer warning	Participants view 12 messages: 10 messages related to health topics (2 messages for each of 5 randomly selected health topics from among all health topics) and 2 control messages.
Alcohol Messages	Breast cancer	Participants view 12 messages: 10 messages related to health topics (2 messages for each of 5 randomly selected health topics from among all health topics) and 2 control messages.
Alcohol Messages	Liver damage	Participants view 12 messages: 10 messages related to health topics (2 messages for each of 5 randomly selected health topics from among all health topics) and 2 control messages.
Alcohol Messages	Cancer (generic, not site-specific)	Participants view 12 messages: 10 messages related to health topics (2 messages for each of 5 randomly selected health topics from among all health topics) and 2 control messages.
Alcohol Messages	Mouth cancer warning	Participants view 12 messages: 10 messages related to health topics (2 messages for each of 5 randomly selected health topics from among all health topics) and 2 control messages.
Alcohol Messages	Throat cancer warning	Participants view 12 messages: 10 messages related to health topics (2 messages for each of 5 randomly selected health topics from among all health topics) and 2 control messages.
Alcohol Messages	Voice box (larynx) warning	Participants view 12 messages: 10 messages related to health topics (2 messages for each of 5 randomly selected health topics from among all health topics) and 2 control messages.
Alcohol Messages	Esophagus cancer warning	Participants view 12 messages: 10 messages related to health topics (2 messages for each of 5 randomly selected health topics from among all health topics) and 2 control messages.
Alcohol Messages	Harm to fetus	Participants view 12 messages: 10 messages related to health topics (2 messages for each of 5 randomly selected health topics from among all health topics) and 2 control messages.
Alcohol Messages	Impaired sleep	Participants view 12 messages: 10 messages related to health topics (2 messages for each of 5 randomly selected health topics from among all health topics) and 2 control messages.
Alcohol Messages	Control	Participants view 12 messages: 10 messages related to health topics (2 messages for each of 5 randomly selected health topics from among all health topics) and 2 control messages.
Alcohol Messages	Road injuries	Participants view 12 messages: 10 messages related to health topics (2 messages for each of 5 randomly selected health topics from among all health topics) and 2 control messages.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Perceived message effectiveness	The survey will take up to 20 minutes.	The study will assess perceived message effectiveness using 1 item: "How much does this message discourage you from wanting to drink alcohol?" Response options will range from "not at all" (coded as 1) to "a great deal" (coded as 5). Higher scores indicate more perceived message effectiveness.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Reactance	The survey will take up to 20 minutes.	The study will assess reactance using 1 item: "Say how much you disagree or agree with this statement: This message exaggerates the health effects of alcohol." Response options will range from "strongly disagree" (coded as 1) to "strongly agree" (coded as 5). Higher scores indicate more reactance.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Online study; 🇺🇸 Palo Alto, California, United States