Impacts of Warning Labels on Ultra-Processed Foods

University of North Carolina (UNC)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Health Behavior; Diet, Healthy

Treatments: Behavioral: Identity Warning Label; Behavioral: Health Warning Label; Other: Barcode Label

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06296355

24-0300d

Details and patient eligibility

About

Purpose: The overall purpose of this study is to identify the impacts of an ultra-processed (UPF) health warning label and UPF identify warning label compared to a control label (i.e., a barcode).

Participants: ~4,000 US Latino adults of parental age (18-55 years), approximately 50% of whom will have limited English proficiency, recruited from a Latino-focused panel company.

Procedures: Participants will be randomly assigned to view food products with one of three label types: health warning labels, identity labels, or barcode control labels. Participants will be asked a series of questions about the products and the label they were assigned.

Full description

On the study platform (Qualtrics), participants will be randomly assigned to 1 of 3 arms with equal probability: a UPF health warning label, a UPF identity label, or a barcode control label. Participants will view four products (a fruit-flavored drink, pretzels, a yogurt, and a breakfast cereal) displayed in random order, each with a label displayed on the front of package according to the participants' study arm. Participants will complete a 13-item online survey to assess each product as to a) whether the product is ultra-processed; b) perceptions of healthfulness; c) intentions to purchase the product.

Enrollment: 4,000 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 55 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Identifying as Latino or Hispanic
• Ages 18-55 years old
• Currently resides in the United States

Exclusion criteria

• Not identifying as Latino or Hispanic
• Less than 18 or greater than 55 years old
• Not residing in the United States

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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4,000 participants in 3 patient groups

Health Warning Label

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will view four products (a fruit-flavored drink, pretzels, a yogurt, and a breakfast cereal) each with a health warning label displayed on the front of package.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Health Warning Label

Identity Warning Label

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will view four products (a fruit-flavored drink, pretzels, a yogurt, and a breakfast cereal) each with an identity warning label displayed on the front of package.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Identity Warning Label

Barcode Label

Other group

Description:

Participants will view four products (a fruit-flavored drink, pretzels, a yogurt, and a breakfast cereal) each with a barcode control label displayed on the front of package.

Treatment:

Other: Barcode Label