Clinical trial NCT06842693: Testing Non-nutritive Sweetener Labels in Chile
Official title: Evaluating Chile's Proposed Non-nutritive Sweeteners Warning Label Regulation
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Diet, Healthy
Lead sponsor: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Instituto de Nutrición y Tecnología de los Alimentos
name: Bloomberg Philanthropies
First posted: 2025-02-24
Enrollment: 3306
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: The goal of this experiment is to examine the effects of 2 types of non-nutritive sweetener (NNS) warning labels among a sample of Chilean parents. The main questions this experiment aims to answer are:

Do non-nutritive sweetener warning labels improve consumers' ability to identify when a product contains non-nutritive sweeteners?

Do non-nutritive sweetener warning labels impact on consumers' selection of non-nutritive sweetener-sweetened, unsweetened, and/or sugar-sweetened products for their children?

Participants will be randomly assigned to 1 of 3 types of labels and view their assigned label on 3 sets of products. Each set will display 4 similar products: one unsweetened, one sweetened with sugar, one sweetened with non-nutritive sweeteners, and one sweetened with both sugar and non-nutritive sweeteners. For each set, participants will identify which product(s) contain NNS and select the product that they would purchase for their child. Researchers will compare results across label types.

Detailed description: Participants will complete an online randomized experiment programmed in Qualtrics. After providing informed consent, participants will be randomly assigned to view 1 of 3 types of labels: a neutral control label, a rectangular label stating "contains non-nutritive sweeteners, not recommended for children" (i.e., Chilean NNS label), or an octagonal label stating "contains non-nutritive sweeteners" (i.e., Colombian NNS label).

Participants will view their assigned label on 4 similar products (one unsweetened, one sweetened with sugar, one sweetened with non-nutritive sweeteners, and one sweetened with both sugar and non-nutritive sweeteners) displayed in random order and complete a task where they identify which product(s) contain non-nutritive sweeteners and select one of the products to purchase for their child. During this task, in all arms, products will also display Chile's current nutrient warning labels when applicable. This task will be repeated 3 times, each time with a different product category (i.e., fruit drinks, yogurts, breakfast cereals), with categories displayed in random order.

After the selection/identification tasks, participants will view their assigned labels on 2 products containing non-nutritive sweeteners (i.e., flavored milk and cereal bar). For each product, participants will rate the perceived message effectiveness of the label and perceived product healthfulness. Lastly, after all product exposures, participants will rate their intentions to limit their child's non-nutritive sweetener consumption.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* 18 years or older
* Parent or guardian of child between 2-14 years old who has never been diagnosed with diabetes, high blood sugar, pre-diabetes or insulin resistance
* Residing in Chile

Exclusion Criteria:

* Less than 18 years old
* Not parent or guardian of child between 2-14 years old who has never been diagnosed with diabetes, high blood sugar, pre-diabetes or insulin resistance
* Not residing in Chile

Primary outcomes:
measure: Correct identification of non-nutritive sweetener containing products
timeFrame: During exposure to intervention (i.e., study stimuli), assessed during one-time online 10-minute survey.
measure: Selection of non-nutritive sweetener-sweetened product for purchase
timeFrame: During exposure to intervention (i.e., study stimuli), assessed during one-time online 10-minute survey.
measure: Selection of unsweetened product for purchase
timeFrame: During exposure to intervention (i.e., study stimuli), assessed during one-time online 10-minute survey.
measure: Selection of sugar-sweetened product for purchase
timeFrame: During exposure to intervention (i.e., study stimuli), assessed during one-time online 10-minute survey.
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Perceived message effectiveness, mean score
timeFrame: During exposure to intervention (i.e., study stimuli), assessed during one-time online 10-minute survey.
measure: Perceived product healthfulness, mean score
timeFrame: During exposure to intervention (i.e., study stimuli), assessed during one-time online 10-minute survey.
measure: Relative product healthfulness, mean score
timeFrame: During exposure to intervention (i.e., study stimuli), assessed during one-time online 10-minute survey.
measure: Intentions to limit non-nutritive sweetener consumption, mean score
timeFrame: After exposure to intervention (i.e., study stimuli), assessed during one-time online 10-minute survey.
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Chapel Hill
country: United States
facility: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Gillings School of Global Public Health
state: North Carolina
Study officials:
affiliation: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
name: Lindsey Smith Taillie, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: