Effects of Sugary Drink Warning Labels on Parent Choices for 6-11 Year Olds
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Terminated
- Sponsor
- University of Pennsylvania
- Enrollment
- 1
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Total calories the child consumes
Study Overview
Brief Summary
Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are a significant contributor to adult and childhood obesity. Policies to place health warning labels on sugar-sweetened beverages are being pursued, but there is little empirical data on how such labels influence people. The proposed research will evaluate the impact of different types of sugar-sweetened beverage warning labels relative to standard calorie labels on the purchasing and consumption behaviors of parents and children.
Detailed Description
The primary objective of this proposal is to determine, before wide-scale implementation, to what degree SSB warning labels increase consumers' knowledge about the potential health harms of SSBs and reduce SSB intake. The study is designed to answer two additional questions: 1) Do some warning labels work better than others? 3) If warning labels influence behavior, is it because they increase knowledge or simply provide a salient reminder that some drinks are less healthy? This aim is designed to test the effect of warning labels on total kilocalories (kcals) purchased and consumed by parents and children. We will examine how SSB warning labels influence snack and beverage purchases and intake among 405 racially and ethnically diverse parent-child pairs.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Prevention
- Masking
- Single (Participant)
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 6 Years to — (Child, Adult, Older Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- •Participant pairs must be:
- •Primary caregiver of a child 6-11 years old; 18 years or older; can read and speak English; did not participate in related studies from our group
- •Child is between 6 and 11 years old; drinks SSBs at least 12 times per month (~3 times per week)
Exclusion Criteria
- •Unable to participate in person in Philadelphia
- •Parent did not purchase food and beverage for their child
- •Parent or caregiver refused to give child permission to participate
Arms & Interventions
Calorie/Control Label Condition
Beverages at the concession stand and in the parent survey in this arm will display solely a calorie label.
Intervention: Exposure to beverage calorie information (Behavioral)
Text Warning Label Condition
Sugary beverages at the concession stand and in the parent survey in this arm will display both a text warning and a calorie label.
Intervention: Exposure to sugar-sweetened beverage warning labels (Behavioral)
Text Warning Label Condition
Sugary beverages at the concession stand and in the parent survey in this arm will display both a text warning and a calorie label.
Intervention: Exposure to beverage calorie information (Behavioral)
Sugar Graphic Label Condition
Sugary beverages at the concession stand and in the parent survey in this arm will display a sugar graphic warning label depicting the amount of sugar in the product, the same text warning, and a calorie label.
Intervention: Exposure to sugar-sweetened beverage warning labels (Behavioral)
Sugar Graphic Label Condition
Sugary beverages at the concession stand and in the parent survey in this arm will display a sugar graphic warning label depicting the amount of sugar in the product, the same text warning, and a calorie label.
Intervention: Exposure to beverage calorie information (Behavioral)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Total calories the child consumes
Time Frame: Study visit, one hour
Total number of calories consumed by the child for all food and beverages (summed) during the study visit
Total beverage calories purchased for the child
Time Frame: Study visit, one hour
Total number of calories for all beverages purchased for the child during the study visit
Total calories purchased for the child
Time Frame: Study visit, one hour
Total number of calories for all food and beverages (summed) purchased for the child during the study visit
Secondary Outcomes
- Total beverage calories purchased for the adult(Study visit, one hour)
- Total calories purchased for the adult(Study visit, one hour)
- Beverage calories the child consumes(Study visit, one hour)
- Beverage calories the adult consumes(Study visit, one hour)
- Total calories the adult consumes(Study visit, one hour)
Investigators
Christina Roberto, PHD
Assistant Professor of Medical Ethics & Health Policy
University of Pennsylvania