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Completed

NCT Number: NCT06129487

Evaluations of Alcohol Warning Labels

The goal of this study is to determine the effectiveness of pictorial warning labels (PWLs) featuring narrative (vs. non-narrative) content in communicating the cancer risk of alcohol. Participants will be randomized to view either three narrative or non-narrative PWLs. Key outcome variables include visual attention, message reactance, risk perceptions, and intentions to reduce and stop drinking.

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Key information

Conditions

Oral Cancer Alcohol Drinking Behavior Digestive System Diseases Digestive System Neoplasms Drinking Behavior Esophageal Cancer Esophageal Diseases Esophageal Neoplasms Gastrointestinal Diseases Gastrointestinal Neoplasms Head and Neck Neoplasms Laryngeal Diseases Laryngeal Neoplasms Larynx Cancer Mouth Diseases Mouth Neoplasms Neoplasms Neoplasms by Site Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases Otorhinolaryngologic Neoplasms Respiratory Tract Diseases Respiratory Tract Neoplasms Stomatognathic Diseases

Age range

21 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Online Survey-Experiment

Storrs, Connecticut, 06269, United States

About this study

The goal of this study is to determine the effectiveness of pictorial warning labels (PWLs) featuring narrative (vs. non-narrative) content in communicating the cancer risk of alcohol. Participants will be recruited from online panels. Participants will first be invited to participate in an online screening survey. Eligible participants will be invited to participate in the main experiment. In the main experiment, participants will first answer questions concerning baseline alcohol consumption and other background information. Then they will engage with a webcam-based eye-tracking task through Sticky by Tobii. Participants will first read instructions and tips related to completing the eye-tracking task. They will complete a brief calibration procedure and be presented with either three narrative PWLs or three non-narrative PWLs. Sticky by Tobii will record participants' gaze, thereby measuring visual attention to each PWL. After viewing each PWL, participants will answer a few questions. After viewing all three PWLs, they will answer questions based on all images combined. Upon study completion, participants will be compensated. A follow-up survey will be sent to participants after two weeks, which includes questions about their drinking behaviors, information seeking behaviors, and social interactions.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • be at least 21 years old;
  • have consumed more than three alcoholic drinks per week over the past year;
  • be willing to participate in remote eye tracking tasks and have necessary technical support to complete remote eye tracking tasks (i.e., having access to high-speed Internet and a computer/tablet/phone equipped with a high-speed camera).

Exclusion criteria

  • be younger than 21 years old;
  • has not consumed more than three alcoholic drinks per week over the past year;
  • be not willing to participate in remote eye tracking tasks and have no necessary technical support to complete remote eye tracking tasks (i.e., having access to high-speed Internet and a computer/tablet/phone equipped with a high-speed camera).

Treatment and study plan

Narrative pictorial warning labels for alcoholic beverages

Behavioral

Pictorial warning labels consisting of text and narrative imagery (e.g., photos of cancer patients) conveying the risk of alcohol for oral cancer, esophageal cancer, and larynx cancer.

Non-narrative pictorial warning labels for alcoholic beverages

Behavioral

Pictorial warning labels consisting of text and non-narrative imagery (e.g., images of diseased organs) conveying the risk of alcohol for oral cancer, esophageal cancer, and larynx cancer.

Primary outcomes

  1. Dwell Time

    Time frame: Assessed during the one-time 15-minute online survey experiment.

    Dwell time measures the total duration of attention to an area of interest (AOI). Each warning label consisted of two AOIs: image AOI and text AOI. Dwell time for each AOI was averaged across three PWLs within each arm.

  2. Visit Count

    Time frame: Assessed during the one-time 15-minute online survey experiment.

    Visit count measures the total number of times participants viewed an area of interest (AOI). Each warning label consisted of two AOIs: image AOI and text AOI. Visit count for each AOI was averaged across three PWLs within each arm.

  3. Reactance

    Time frame: Assessed during the one-time 15-minute online survey experiment.

    Reactance were measured after exposure to each PWL (i.e., three times in total). It was assessed using the brief Reactance to Health Warnings Scale (Hall et al., 2017). Participants were asked to indicate how much each warning tried to manipulate them, annoyed them, and was overblown (1 = not at all, 5 = a great deal). Reactance for each PWL was averaged across three PWLs within each arm.

  4. Affective Risk Perceptions

    Time frame: Assessed during the one-time 15-minute online survey experiment.

    Affective risk perceptions were assessed once after participants viewed all three PWLs. Participants were asked to indicate how worried they are about getting a specific type of cancer if they keep drinking the amount of alcohol like they do now. Participants responded on a five-point scale (1 = Not at all worried, 2=Slightly worried, 3=Moderately worried, 4=Very worried, 5=Extremely worried).

  5. Experiential Risk Perceptions

    Time frame: Assessed during the one-time 15-minute online survey experiment.

    Experiential risk perceptions were assessed once after participants viewed all three PWLs. Participants were asked to indicate how vulnerable they feel about getting a specific type of cancer if they keep drinking the amount of alcohol like they do now. Participants responded on a five-point scale (1 = Not at all vulnerable, 2=Slightly vulnerable, 3=Moderately vulnerable, 4=Very vulnerable, 5=Extremely vulnerable).

  6. Perceived Susceptibility

    Time frame: Assessed during the one-time 15-minute online survey experiment.

    Perceived susceptibility were assessed once after participants viewed all three PWLs. Participants were asked to indicate how likely it is that they will get a specific type of cancer if they keep drinking the amount of alcohol like they do now. Participants responded on a five-point scale (1 = Not at all likely, 2=A little likely, 3=Somewhat likely, 4=Very likely, 5=Extremely likely).

  7. Comparative Risk

    Time frame: Assessed during the one-time 15-minute online survey experiment.

    Comparative risk were assessed once after participants viewed all three PWLs. Participants were asked to indicate compared to an average person their age, race, and sex, how likely do they think they will get a specific type of cancer if they keep drinking the amount of alcohol like they do now. Participants responded on a five-point scale (1=Much less likely, 2=Less likely, 3=About as likely, 4=More likely, 5=Much more likely).

  8. Perceived Severity of Harm

    Time frame: Assessed during the one-time 15-minute online survey experiment.

    Perceived severity of harm were assessed once after participants viewed all three PWLs. Participants were asked to indicate how much getting a specific type of cancer because of drinking would affect their life. Participants responded on a five-point scale (1=Not at all, 2=Very little, 3=Somewhat, 4=Quite a bit, 5=A great deal).

  9. Intentions to Reduce Drinking

    Time frame: Assessed during the one-time 15-minute online survey experiment.

    Intentions to reduce drinking were assessed once after participants viewed all three PWLs. Participants were asked to answer questions such as "How interested are you in reducing drinking in the next 6 months?" Participants responded to these questions on an appropriately labeled 5-point scale (e.g., 1 = Not at all interested, 2=Slightly interested, 3=Moderately interested, 4=Very interested, 5=Extremely interested).

  10. Intentions to Stop Drinking

    Time frame: Assessed during the one-time 15-minute online survey experiment.

    Intentions to stop drinking were assessed once after participants viewed all three PWLs. Participants were asked to answer three questions such as "How interested are you in stopping drinking in the next 6 months?" Participants responded to these questions on an appropriately labeled 5-point scale (e.g., 1 = Not at all interested, 2=Slightly interested, 3=Moderately interested, 4=Very interested, 5=Extremely interested).

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Connecticut

Other

Collaborators

  • National Cancer Institute (NCI)
  • Oakland University

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2024
Primary completion
2024
Study completion
2024
First posted
Nov 13, 2023
Registry last updated
Nov 14, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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