Clinical trial NCT06651060: Climate Labels for Restaurant Menus Pilot
Official title: Comparing the Impact of Climate Labels for Restaurant Menus: a Pilot Study
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Food Selection
Keywords: Sustainability
Climate change
Diet
Food choices
Food labeling
Lead sponsor: University of California, Davis
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2024-10-21
Enrollment: 16181
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: Participants will be randomized to view a menu based on a real-world restaurant with one of six labeling schemes applied: 1) a QR code on all items (control); 2) High Climate Impact label; 3) High Climate Impact Warning label; 4) Climate Grade label; 5) Climate Grade label also displaying full range of possible grades; 6) Estimated Environmental Cost label. Menus will include main items only. Labels will only appear alongside main menu items and will be assigned using thresholds for greenhouse gas emissions set a priori in kilograms of CO2 equivalent per kilogram of food. Each participant will view a menu based on a real-world restaurant with one of the 6 labels shown on applicable menu items, select the menu item(s) they would like, then respond to survey questions about each label.
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: The aim of this study is to compare responses to 6 different types of labels for restaurant menus: 1) a QR code on all items (control); 2) High Climate Impact label; 3) High Climate Impact Warning label; 4) Climate Grade label; 5) Climate Grade label also displaying full range of possible grades; 6) Estimated Environmental Cost label. Participants will be randomized to 1 of these 6 labeling arms. Each participant will view a menu based on a real-world restaurant with one of the 6 labels shown on applicable menu items, select the menu item they would like, and then respond to survey questions about each label.

Detailed description: This is an online randomized controlled trial in which researchers will use a survey company to recruit participants to an online survey. In the study, participants will be randomized to 1 of 6 labeling arms: 1) a QR code on all items (control); 2) High Climate Impact label; 3) High Climate Impact Warning label; 4) Climate Grade label; 5) Climate Grade label also displaying full range of possible grades; 6) Estimated Environmental Cost label. Labels will only appear alongside main menu items and will be assigned using thresholds for greenhouse gas emissions set a priori in kilograms of CO2 equivalent per kilogram of food. Each participant will view a menu based on a real-world restaurant with one of the 6 labels shown on applicable menu items, select the menu item they would like, then respond to survey questions about each label.

For dichotomous outcomes, the investigators will directly estimate the probability ratio using Poisson regression with a robust error variance, regressing the outcome on indicators for experimental condition. For continuous outcomes, the investigators will use linear regression models, regressing the outcome on indicators for experimental condition. A critical alpha 0.05 will be used, and statistical tests will be two-tailed. Investigators will compare all experimental label conditions to the control label, then compare each experimental label to each other using pairwise comparisons.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* 18 years and older
* English-speaking
* U.S. residents
* Have eaten restaurant food at least once in the last month
* Participants will reflect the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey estimates for sex, race/ethnicity, educational attainment, and age

Exclusion Criteria:

* Non-US resident
* Younger than 18 years old
* Failing the attention check question
* Completing the survey in less than 33% of the median completion time

Primary outcomes:
measure: High climate impact menu item selected - dichotomous variable
timeFrame: Up to approx. 1 minutes
measure: Total greenhouse gas emissions - continuous variable
timeFrame: Up to approx. 1 minute
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Modified Nutrient Profile Index (NPI) score - continuous variable
timeFrame: Up to approx. 1 minute
measure: Total energy (kcal) selected - continuous variable
timeFrame: Up to approx. 1 minute
measure: Total saturated fat (g) selected - continuous variable
timeFrame: Up to approx. 1 minute
measure: Total sodium (mg) selected - continuous variable
timeFrame: Up to approx. 1 minute
Other outcomes:
measure: Noticeability - dichotomous variable
timeFrame: Up to approx. 1 minute
measure: Support - categorical variable
timeFrame: Up to approx. 1 minute
measure: Effectiveness - categorical variable
timeFrame: Up to approx. 1 minute
Locations:
city: Davis
country: United States
facility: University of California, Davis
state: California
Study officials:
References: