Using Nudge Strategies to Promote Healthier Beverage Intake Among College Students

Nanjing Medical University

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Food Selection; Obesity

Treatments: Behavioral: choice architecture

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06596564

2023-SR-052

Details and patient eligibility

About

The primary objective of this study is to investigate whether three nudging interventions would affect the beverage selection and consumption behaviors of Chinese university students. These interventions encompass providing information on the sugar content of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), disseminating harmful information about SSBs, and showcasing the social norm that the majority of students opt for mineral water. Through a single-factor between-subjects experiment, we aim to examine the impact of these nudge interventions on the proportion of students choosing sugary drinks versus mineral water, thereby assessing their effectiveness in guiding healthier beverage choices.

Full description

As the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and chronic diseases continues to escalate, excessive consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) has emerged as a growing public health concern globally. One approach to reducing beverage intake while conserving resources is the utilization of nudge strategies. Nudge strategies, characterized by their low cost and ease of implementation, facilitate individuals in making more accurate and beneficial choices in a predictable manner, through subtle interventions that do not prohibit any options or significantly alter incentives. This nudge experiment will be conducted in a classroom setting, where participants will be randomly assigned to four groups for beverage selection: No Nudge Intervention Group, Sugar Content Information Nudge Group, Sugar Harmful information Nudge Group and Social Norm Nudge Group. Participants will access the nudge content specific to their respective groups via the professional survey platform of Questionnaire Star and make a choice between cola and mineral water.

Enrollment: 300 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• college students
• 18 years or above of age
• willing to participate

Exclusion criteria

• None

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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300 participants in 4 patient groups

Control

No Intervention group

Description:

In this group, no nudge interventions were implemented, only data were collected.

choice architecture (Sugar Content Information)

Experimental group

Description:

Students are exposed to information about the sugar content of cola on the Questionnaire Star platform to "nudge" students towards healthier choices

Treatment:

Behavioral: choice architecture

Behavioral: choice architecture

Behavioral: choice architecture

choice architecture (Sugar Harm Information)

Experimental group

Description:

Students are exposed to information about the harms of cola on the Questionnaire Star platform to "nudge" students towards healthier choices

Treatment:

Behavioral: choice architecture

Behavioral: choice architecture

Behavioral: choice architecture

choice architecture (Social Norm Information)

Experimental group

Description:

Students are exposed to information about the most peers choose mineral water on the Questionnaire Star platform to "nudge" students towards healthier choices

Treatment:

Behavioral: choice architecture

Behavioral: choice architecture

Behavioral: choice architecture