Message Framing and Policy Support for Front-of-package Labeling

University of North Carolina (UNC)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Diet, Healthy

Treatments: Behavioral: Exposure to information framing message; Behavioral: Exposure to industry framing message; Behavioral: Exposure to healthier choices framing message

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06296342

24-0300c

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study aims to assess whether different message framing about front-of-package labeling policies elicits more policy support than the control (no framing) among Latino and limited English proficiency populations. The study also seeks to identify which message framing elicits the most policy support.

Full description

Participants will complete a between-subjects online randomized experiment. Participants will be randomized to 1 of 4 arms: 1) No framing (control), 2) Information framing, 3) Healthier choices framing, and 4) Industry framing. In each arm, participants will view 1 message developed for their randomly assigned arm and indicate their policy support.

Enrollment: 4,107 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
• Residing 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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4,107 participants in 4 patient groups

Control (No framing)

No Intervention group

Description:

Participants will view one message about the front-of-package labeling policy. The message will display the same introductory sentence as all experimental arms, but it will not include a framed message about the objective of the front-of-package labeling policy.

Information framing

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will view one message that frames the objective of the front-of-package labeling policy as providing nutritional information.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Exposure to information framing message

Healthier choices framing

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will view one message that frames the objective of the front-of-package labeling policy as encouraging consumers to make healthier choices.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Exposure to healthier choices framing message

Industry framing

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will view one message that frames the objective of the front-of-package labeling policy as encouraging the food industry to make healthier products.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Exposure to industry framing message