Influence of Social Media Ads on Food Choice - Master Protocol

NYU Langone Health

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Food Selection; Food Choices; Calorie Consumption

Treatments: Behavioral: Racially Incongruent Ads; Behavioral: Few Likes; Behavioral: Racially Congruent Ads; Behavioral: Black Ads; Behavioral: Non Food-Few Likes; Behavioral: Black-Non Food; Behavioral: Many Likes; Behavioral: White-Non Food; Behavioral: Non Food-Many Likes; Behavioral: White Ads

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT07249398

R01CA248441 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

20-01796

Details and patient eligibility

About

This is a Master ClinicalTrials.gov Protocol for study 20-01796:

Aim 1: Examining Influence of Social Media Ads on Black and White Adolescents' Food Choices - Study 1 (NCT05380505)

Aim 2: A Randomized Trial to Examine the Influence of "Likes" in Social Media Food Ads on Black and White Adolescents' Food Purchases - Study 2 (NCT06969638)

Aim 3: Comparing the Effects of Racial Congruence, "Likes," and Food Images in Social Media Ads on Adolescents' Caloric Intake - Study 3 (NCT06969651)

Full description

The overall objective is to determine the extent to which racially congruent Facebook food ads influence adolescents' food purchases and actual caloric intake. The investigators are conducting three randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The first two aims involve 15-minute online surveys in which participants (Black and White adolescents) rate ads then complete a "food purchasing" task through a virtual vending machine. The third trial will involve an in-person, hour long lab study where participants will be shown ads while investigators covertly monitor their eye movements.

Enrollment: 3,650 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 13 to 17 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. be 13-17 years of age;
2. identify as only non-Latino White or only Black/African American;
3. report that they log into Facebook at least once daily; and
4. read and speak English.

Exclusion criteria

• Any criteria not met as listed above will bar an adolescent from participating in the study.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Factorial Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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3,650 participants in 14 patient groups

(Aim 1) Condition 1: Race Congruent Ads

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will complete a 15-minute survey in which they will be randomized to view and rate Facebook food ads associated with their condition. Then they will complete a food purchasing task in which they will shop in an online store that will display six food items and six beverages. Finally, they will answer demographic questions (e.g., self-reported height and weight) and view a debriefing summary that describes the full purpose of the study.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Racially Congruent Ads

(Aim 1) Condition 2: Race Incongruent Ads

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will complete a 15-minute survey in which they will be randomized to view and rate Facebook food ads associated with their condition. Then they will complete a food purchasing task in which they will shop in an online store that will display six food items and six beverages. Finally, they will answer demographic questions (e.g., self-reported height and weight) and view a debriefing summary that describes the full purpose of the study.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Racially Incongruent Ads

(Aim 2) Black Many Likes

Experimental group

Description:

Food ads with many "likes" and featuring Black individuals

Treatment:

Behavioral: Many Likes

Behavioral: Black Ads

(Aim 2) Black Few Likes

Experimental group

Description:

Food ads with few "likes" and featuring Black individuals

Treatment:

Behavioral: Black Ads

Behavioral: Few Likes

(Aim 2) White Many Likes

Experimental group

Description:

Food ads with many "likes" and featuring White individuals

Treatment:

Behavioral: White Ads

Behavioral: Many Likes

(Aim 2) White Few Likes

Experimental group

Description:

Food ads with few "likes" and featuring White individuals

Treatment:

Behavioral: White Ads

Behavioral: Few Likes

(Aim 3) Block 1: Black-Food

Experimental group

Description:

Exposure to ads with a Black person featuring a food product

Treatment:

Behavioral: Black Ads

(Aim 3) Block 2: White-Food

Experimental group

Description:

Exposure to ads with a White person featuring a food product

Treatment:

Behavioral: White Ads

(Aim 3) Block 3: Black-Non Food

Experimental group

Description:

Exposure to ads with a Black person featuring a non-food product

Treatment:

Behavioral: Black-Non Food

(Aim 3) Block 4: White-Non Food

Experimental group

Description:

Exposure to ads with a White person featuring a non-food product

Treatment:

Behavioral: White-Non Food

(Aim 3) Block 5: Food-Many Likes

Experimental group

Description:

Exposure to ads with many "likes" featuring a food product

Treatment:

Behavioral: Many Likes

(Aim 3) Block 6: Non Food-Many Likes

Experimental group

Description:

Exposure to ads with many "likes" featuring a non-food product

Treatment:

Behavioral: Non Food-Many Likes

(Aim 3) Block 7: Food-Few Likes

Experimental group

Description:

Exposure to ads with few "likes" featuring a food product

Treatment:

Behavioral: Few Likes

(Aim 3) Block 8: Non Food-Few Likes

Experimental group

Description:

Exposure to ads with few "likes" featuring a non-food product

Treatment:

Behavioral: Non Food-Few Likes