N/A
N=400
Impact of Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Health Warnings
Dietary Habits
Bottom Line
View on ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03511937 ↗Enrolled (actual)
400
Serious AEs
0.0%
Results posted
Mar 2021
Primary outcome: Primary: Mean Number of Calories (kcal) Purchased From Sugar-sweetened Beverages — 109.9; 143.2 kcal — p=0.02
Study Design & Population
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- N/A
- Interventions
- Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Health Warning Label (Behavioral); Neutral Label (Other)
- Age
- Adult, Older Adult · 18+ yrs
- Sex
- All
- Sponsor
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
- Primary completion
- Sep 2018
Outcome Measures
| Outcome | Result | p-value |
|---|---|---|
| PRIMARY Mean Number of Calories (kcal) Purchased From Sugar-sweetened Beverages |
109.9; 143.2 | 0.02 sig |
| SECONDARY Mean Number of Calories (kcal) Purchased From All Foods and Beverages |
2365.6; 2435.6 | 0.55 |
| SECONDARY Percent of Participants Who Purchase a Sugar-sweetened Beverage |
50.0; 64.0 | 0.006 sig |
| SECONDARY Mean Number of Sugar-sweetened Beverages Purchased |
0.7; 0.9 | 0.010 sig |
| SECONDARY Mean Intentions Score to Limit Consumption of Beverages Added Sugar |
4.8; 4.7 | 0.403 |
| SECONDARY Mean Intentions Sore to Limit Consumption of Specific Sugar-sweetened Beverages |
5.5; 5.0 | 0.005 sig |
| SECONDARY Percent of Participants Who Notice the Trial Labels |
75.0; 32.5 | <0.001 sig |
| SECONDARY Mean Attention Score to the Trial Labels |
3.1; 1.5 | <0.001 sig |
| SECONDARY Mean Emotional Reactions Score to Trial Labels |
1.5; 1.1 | <0.001 sig |
| SECONDARY Mean Cognitive Elaboration Score |
2.3; 1.2 | <0.001 sig |
| SECONDARY Mean Social Interactions About the Labels |
2.2; 1.3 | <0.001 sig |
| SECONDARY Mean Perceptions of Added Sugar Score Content in Specific Sugar-sweetened Beverages |
3.6; 3.6 | 0.055 |
| SECONDARY Mean Attitudes Score Toward Consuming Specific Sugar-sweetened Beverages |
2.3; 2.4 | 0.258 |
| SECONDARY Mean Product Attitudes Score Toward Specific Sugar-sweetened Beverages |
4.1; 4.1 | 0.416 |
| SECONDARY Mean Outcome Expectations Score Regarding Consumption of Beverages With Added Sugar |
6.2; 6.1 | 0.609 |
Summary
Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) like sodas, sports drinks, and fruit drinks remains a pressing public health concern in the United States. Consumption of SSBs remains well above recommended levels, and has been linked to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. In response, policymakers across the U.S. have proposed requiring warning messages on SSB containers to inform the public and reduce consumption to healthier levels. While online studies find that such warnings reduce intentions to purchase SSBs, no studies have yet examined the impact of warnings on actual consumer behavior. The purpose of this randomized trial is to determine whether health warnings on sugar-sweetened beverages are more effective than control labels at reducing purchases of sugar-sweetened beverages. The trial will take place in a mock convenience store. Participants will be randomly assigned to a health warnings arm in which all sugar-sweetened beverages in the store are labeled with a health warning, or to a control arm in which all sugar-sweetened beverages in the store are labeled with a neutral label. Participants will select items to purchase with cash, and purchases will be compared across trial arms.
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- Age 18 years or older
- Consume at least 12oz/week of sugar-sweetened beverages during the past month
- Be able to read and speak English
Exclusion Criteria
- Under the age of 18 years
- Consume less than 12 ounces/week of sugar-sweetened beverages during the past month
- Unable to read or speak English
Data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03511937). Outcome figures and adverse-event rates are extracted automatically from the registry's posted results and are provided for clinician reference, not as a substitute for the primary publication.