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NCT Number: NCT07625969

Using Single and Combined Nudge Strategies to Promote Healthier Beverage Intake Among College Students

The primary objective of this study was to examine whether three nudging strategies influence beverage consumption behavior among Chinese university students. These interventions included health warning messages, hedonic labeling, and a combination of health warning and hedonic labeling. A between-subjects experimental design with a single factor was employed to assess the effects of these strategies on students' choices between sugar-sweetened and sugar-free beverages, thereby evaluating their effectiveness in promoting healthier beverage selections.

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Key information

Conditions

Obesity Behavior Body Weight Feeding Behavior Food Preferences Food Selection Nutrition Disorders Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases Overnutrition Overweight Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Nanjing Medical University

Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210000, China

Location status: Recruiting

About this study

As the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and chronic diseases continues to escalate, excessive consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) has emerged as a growing public health concern globally. One approach to reducing beverage intake while conserving resources is the utilization of nudge strategies. Nudge strategies, characterized by their low cost and ease of implementation, facilitate individuals in making more accurate and beneficial choices in a predictable manner, through subtle interventions that do not prohibit any options or significantly alter incentives. This study will be conducted in a classroom setting, where participants will be randomly assigned to one of four groups: a no-nudge control group, a health warning group, a hedonic labeling group, and a combined health warning plus hedonic labeling group.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • college students
  • willing to participate

Exclusion criteria

none

Treatment and study plan

Choice Architecture

Behavioral

Showing the various harms that can come from long-term excessive consumption of sugary beverages on the platform.

Primary outcomes

  1. The proportion (or likelihood) of selecting sugar-free beverages

    Time frame: day 1

    The probability of choosing a sugar-free beverage (binary outcome: sugar-sweetened = 0, sugar-free = 1) across five menu-selection tasks.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Participants' Perceived Intrusiveness of Nudges

    Time frame: day 1

    A 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree) was employed. Higher scores indicate greater perceived intrusiveness.

  2. Participants' Support for Nudges

    Time frame: day 1

    A 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree) was employed. Higher scores indicate greater support for the nudging strategy

  3. Participants' Perceived effectiveness of Nudges

    Time frame: day 1

    A 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree) was employed. Higher scores indicate greater perceived effectiveness.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Yuan He

CONTACT

[email protected]

18651625286

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Nanjing Medical University

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Jun 4, 2026
Registry last updated
Jul 7, 2026

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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