Clinical trial NCT04567004: Testing Product Messages for Colombia
Official title: Testing Product Messages for Colombia
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Obesity
Lead sponsor: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: The Bloomberg Family Foundation, Inc.
First posted: 2020-09-28
Enrollment: 8071
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 64
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: Purpose: To better understand the impact of different front-of-package labels (FOPLs) on consumer purchasing intentions and ability to identify unhealthy foods.

Participants: \~8,000 Colombians, recruited from Offerwise, that are 18 years or older.

Procedures (methods): Participants will be randomly assigned to view images of food and drink products with either a nutrient warning label, Guideline Daily Amount label, Nutriscore label, or no-label control. They will be asked a series of questions about the products and the labels (excluding control group) on them. Questions will also include standard demographic and health related variables.

Detailed description: Participants will be recruited from Offerwise (an online panel research company). Following online consent, participants will be randomly assigned to view different labels (explained below) on food and drink packaging. Participants will answer self-reported responses to the content (e.g., elaboration, beliefs, perceived healthfulness). After being randomized to one of the four groups and answering questions (e.g. which product is healthier, which product would you buy), the participant will see all three labels and select which is most dissuading from consuming a product high in a nutrient. At the end, the participant will answer demographic questions.

Participants will be randomized to see either a no-label control or 1 of 3 nutrient labels. The participants will see 5 types of products with the labels (fruit drinks, yogurt, sliced bread, cookies, and breakfast cereal).

Nutrient labels:

1. Guideline Daily Amount label
2. Nutriscore label
3. Adapted Peruvian nutrient warning label (high in sugar, high in saturated fat, high in salt/sodium)

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* 18-64 years old
* Resident of Colombia
* Offerwise panel member (recruitment platform)

Exclusion Criteria:

* \<18 years old or \>64 years old
* Not a resident of Colombia

Primary outcomes:
measure: Selection of Product Higher in Sugar
timeFrame: During ~15 minute online survey
measure: Correct Identification of the Product Higher in Sugar
timeFrame: During ~15 minute online survey
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Perceived Message Effectiveness
timeFrame: During ~15 minute online survey
measure: Purchase Likelihood
timeFrame: During ~15 minute online survey
measure: Identify Less Healthy Product
timeFrame: During ~15 minute online survey
measure: Ability to Identify Product as Having Excess of Sugar/Saturated Fat/Sodium
timeFrame: During ~15 minute online survey
measure: Most Discouraging Label
timeFrame: During ~15 minute online survey
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Chapel Hill
country: United States
facility: UNC Carolina Population Center
state: North Carolina
Study officials:
affiliation: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
name: Lindsey S Taillie, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Mora-Plazas M, Aida Higgins IC, Gomez LF, Hall M, Parra MF, Bercholz M, Murukutla N, Taillie LS. Impact of nutrient warning labels on choice of ultra-processed food and drinks high in sugar, sodium, and saturated fat in Colombia: A randomized controlled trial. PLoS One. 2022 Feb 10;17(2):e0263324. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263324. eCollection 2022.