Impact of Front-of-package Warning Labels on Perceived Weight Stigmatization

Summary

The goal of this experiment is to examine the effects of three different types of front-of-package warning labels for sugar-sweetened beverages on perceived weight stigmatization, as well as the effect of making such labels more weight-neutral. The main questions this experiment aims to answer are:

* Are certain types of front-of-package warning labels perceived as more stigmatizing than others?
* Are more weight-neutral versions of front-of-package warning labels perceived as less stigmatizing than their regular versions?
* Is there a trade-off between label effectiveness in discouraging product consumption and perceived weight stigmatization?

Additionally, this experiment also aims to answer the following questions:

* Does exposure to certain types of front-of-package warning labels lead to changes in participants' weight bias?
* Are changes in participants' weight bias as a result of label exposure mediated by attribution of personal responsibility for body weight, pathogen disgust, or perceived social consensus?

Conditions

• Weight Stigma

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Nutrient warning labels

In random order, participants in this arm will see an image of fictional sugar-sweetened beverages carrying: * Labels that read "high in sugars" and "high in calories" * A label that reads "high in sugars"

BEHAVIORAL

Text-only health warning labels

In random order, participants in this arm will see an image of fictional sugar-sweetened beverages carrying: * A label that reads "Drinking beverages with added sugars contributes to obesity, type 2 diabetes and tooth decay" * A label that reads "Drinking beverages with added sugars contributes type 2 diabetes and tooth decay"

BEHAVIORAL

Graphic health warning labels

In random order, participants in this arm will see an image of fictional sugar-sweetened beverages carrying: * A label that reads "Drinking beverages with added sugars contributes to obesity, type 2 diabetes and tooth decay" and contains graphics illustrating obesity, type 2 diabetes, and tooth decay * A label that reads "Drinking beverages with added sugars contributes type 2 diabetes and tooth decay" and contains graphics illustrating type 2 diabetes and tooth decay

BEHAVIORAL

Control labels

In random order, participants in this arm will see an image of fictional sugar-sweetened beverages carrying: * A neutral bar code label * A neutral quick response (QR) code label (not scannable)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Stanford University

  collaborator OTHER

• University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Aline D'Angelo Campos, MPP · University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

FACTORIAL

Eligibility

Min Age

21 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2024-01-18

Primary Completion

2024-01-26

Completion

2024-01-26

Countries

• United States

Study Locations