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NCT Number: NCT06442800

Impacts of Alcohol Warning Labels: An Online Experiment

The goal of this experiment is to examine responses to alcohol warning messages about 10 different topics among US adult alcohol consumers. The main questions this experiment aims to answer are:

Which warning topics make alcohol consumers in the US want to drink less alcohol? Which warning topics remind alcohol consumers in the US of alcohol's harms? Which warning topics help alcohol consumers in the US learn something new? There will be a total of 20 alcohol messages, 2 messages for each of the 10 topics. For each topic, participants will be randomly assigned to 1 of the 2 messages so that they view a total of 10 alcohol messages. All 10 messages will be shown in random order. Participants will rate each message on how much it makes them want to drink less alcohol, reminds them that drinking can be harmful, and teaches them something new.

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Key information

Conditions

Alcohol Drinking Behavior Drinking Behavior

Age range

21 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of North Carolina

Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599, United States

About this study

This study aims to determine which topics in alcohol warning labels are most effective at making US adults who consume alcohol want to drink less alcohol, which topics best remind consumers of alcohol's harms, and which topics are most likely to teach consumers something new. The survey research company NORC at the University of Chicago will recruit a sample of 1,000 US adults ages 21+ who consumed alcohol at least one time per week during the past 4 weeks.

Participants will complete a within-subjects online randomized experiment in which they view and rate messages shown on alcohol containers. Participants will rate each message on perceived message effectiveness (primary outcome), reminding of alcohol's harms (secondary outcome), and learning something new (secondary outcome). These tasks will be repeated for 10 messages, each with a different topic. There will be 9 warning topics (i.e., topics about alcohol's harms) and 1 control topic (i.e., neutral topic not about alcohol's harms). In this within-subjects experiment, the survey will present the topics in random order and participants will view 1 of 2 messages for each topic.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Age 21 and older
  • Reside in the United States
  • Able to complete a survey in English
  • Consumed alcohol at least once per week during the past 4 weeks

Exclusion criteria

  • Under the age of 21
  • Reside outside of the United States
  • Unable to complete a survey in English
  • Consumed alcohol less than once per week during the past 4 weeks

Treatment and study plan

Liver Cancer

Behavioral

Participants will view messages about the risk of liver cancer from alcohol consumption.

Throat and Mouth Cancer

Behavioral

Participants will view messages about the risk of throat and mouth cancer from alcohol consumption.

Colorectal Cancer

Behavioral

Participants will view messages about the risk of colorectal cancer from alcohol consumption.

Multiple Cancers

Behavioral

Participants will view messages about the risk of multiple cancers from alcohol consumption.

Liver Disease

Behavioral

Participants will view messages about the risk of liver disease from alcohol consumption.

Hypertension

Behavioral

Participants will view messages about the risk of hypertension from alcohol consumption.

Dementia

Behavioral

Participants will view messages about the risk of dementia from alcohol consumption.

Drinking guidelines

Behavioral

Participants will view messages about guidelines for alcohol consumption.

Current Warning

Behavioral

Participants will view the current warning that is required on most alcoholic beverage containers sold in the US.

Control

Behavioral

Participants will view neutral messages unrelated to the harms of alcohol consumption.

Primary outcomes

  1. Perceived Message Effectiveness

    Time frame: Assessed during one-time 15-minute online study survey

    The study will assess perceived message effectiveness using 1 item: "How much does this message make you want to drink less alcohol?" Response options will range from "not at all" (coded as 1) to "a great deal" (coded as 5). Higher scores indicate more perceived message effectiveness. Survey weighted means are reported to account for NORC AmeriSpeak's sampling design to enable results to be statistically representative of the US population of drinkers age >/=21 who drink alcohol.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Reminding of Alcohol's Harms

    Time frame: Assessed during one-time 15-minute online study survey

    The study will assess reminding of alcohol's harms using 1 item: "How much does this message remind you that drinking alcohol can be harmful?" Response options will range from not at all (1) to a great deal (5). Higher scores indicate greater reminding of alcohol's harms. Survey weighted means are reported to account for NORC AmeriSpeak's sampling design to enable results to be statistically representative of the US population of drinkers age >/=21 who drink alcohol.

  2. Learning Something New

    Time frame: Assessed during one-time 15-minute online study survey

    The study will assess learning something new with 1 item: "Did you learn something new from this message?" Response options will be yes (1) and no (0). Proportion of participants who endorsed learning something new (i.e., answered 1). Survey weighted proportions are reported to account for NORC AmeriSpeak's sampling design to enable results to be statistically representative of the US population of drinkers age >/=21 who drink alcohol.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Other

Collaborators

  • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Registry information

Official study title

Online Randomized Experiment Evaluating the Perceived Effectiveness of Alcohol Warning Labels

Important dates

Study start
2024
Primary completion
2024
Study completion
2024
First posted
Jun 4, 2024
Registry last updated
Aug 15, 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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