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Completed

NCT Number: NCT06179043

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

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?

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Key information

Conditions

Weight Stigma Behavior Prejudice Social Behavior Weight Prejudice

Age range

21 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27516, United States

About this study

Participants will be randomly assigned to see one of four types of labels: control labels, nutrient warning labels, text-only health warning labels, or graphic health warning labels. Participants will then see an image depicting different types of fictional sugar-sweetened beverages carrying the label type that they were assigned to. Participants will see this image twice, in random order, each time differing in whether the label is weight-neutral or not (i.e., whether the label references calories/obesity or not). Each time, participants will answer survey questions about the label. Last, participants will answer survey questions measuring their weight bias and potential mediating variables.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • At least 21 years of age.
  • Residing in the US.

Exclusion criteria

-Involved in any pre-testing.

Treatment and study plan

Nutrient warning labels

Behavioral

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"

Text-only health warning labels

Behavioral

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"

Graphic health warning labels

Behavioral

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

Control labels

Behavioral

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)

Primary outcomes

  1. Perceived weight stigmatization, mean score

    Time frame: Immediately after exposure to intervention (i.e., study stimuli), assessed during one-time online study survey.

    Stigmatization of people with obesity will be measured by survey through a three-item scale. Items will inquire about how much participants perceive the label to (1) stigmatize people with obesity, (2) promote negative stereotypes about people with obesity, and (3) portray people with obesity in a disrespectful manner. Response options will be on a 1 to 5 scale, with higher scores representing a higher perceived weight stigmatization by the study labels. Each participant's responses to each item will be combined to obtain their final score on the outcome.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Perceived message effectiveness, mean score

    Time frame: Immediately after exposure to intervention (i.e., study stimuli), assessed during one-time online study survey.

    How much the labels discourage participants from wanting to consume the products will be measured by survey. Response options will be on a 1 to 5 scale, with higher scores representing a higher perceived message effectiveness.

  2. Weight bias, mean score

    Time frame: Immediately after exposure to intervention (i.e., study stimuli), assessed during one-time online study survey.

    Weight bias will be measured by survey through a seven-item scale. Items will present participants with adjective pairs and ask that they select the box closest to the adjective that they feel best describe their feelings and beliefs about people with obesity: (1) lazy-industrious, (2) no will power - has will power, (3) good self-control - poor self-control, (4) active - inactive, (5) self-indulgent - self-sacrificing, (6) dislikes food - likes food, (7) undereats - overeats. Response options will be 5 boxes between adjectives, which will be coded on a 1 to 5 scale so that higher scores represent higher weight bias. Each participant's responses to each item will be combined to obtain their final score on the outcome.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Other

Collaborators

  • Stanford University

Registry information

Official study title

Examining the Impact of Different Types of Front-of-package Warning Labels for Sugar-sweetened Beverages on Perceived Weight Stigmatization Among a Sample of US Adults

Important dates

Study start
2024
Primary completion
2024
Study completion
2024
First posted
Dec 21, 2023
Registry last updated
Feb 13, 2024

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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