Hobin, Erin and Thielman, Justin and Forbes, Samantha M and Poon, Theresa and Bélanger-Gravel, Ariane and Demers-Potvin, Élisabeth and Haynes, Ashleigh and Li, Ye and Niquette, Manon and Paradis, Catherine and Provencher, Véronique and Smith, Brendan T and Wells, Samantha and Atkinson, Amanda and Vanderlee, Lana (2024) Can a health warning label diminish the persuasive effects of health-oriented nutrition advertising on ready-to-drink alcohol product packaging? A randomized experiment. Addiction, 119, (7), pp. 1238-1252. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.16475.
External website: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/add.16...
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: A health warning label (HWL) cautioning about the link between alcohol and cancer may be able to communicate alcohol risks to consumers and potentially counter health-oriented nutrition advertising on ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages. This study aimed to examine the independent and combined effects of nutrient content claims (e.g. 0 g sugar) and a HWL on perceived product characteristics and intentions to consume, and whether these effects differed by gender and age.
DESIGN: A between-subjects randomized experiment. Participants were randomized to view one of six experimental label conditions: nutrient content claims plus nutrition declaration (NCC + ND), ND only, NCC + ND + HWL, ND + HWL, HWL only and no NCC, ND or HWL, all on a ready-to-drink (RTD) vodka-based soda container.
SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Alcohol consumers (n = 5063; 52% women) in Canada aged 18-64 recruited through a national online panel.
MEASUREMENTS: Participants completed ratings of perceived product characteristics, perceived product health risks, and intentions to try, buy, binge and drink the product.
FINDINGS: Compared with the reference condition NCC + ND (current policy scenario in Canada), the other five experimental label conditions were associated with lower ratings for perceiving the product as healthy. All experimental conditions with a HWL were associated with lower product appeal, higher risk perceptions and reduced intentions to try, buy and binge. The experimental condition with a HWL only was associated with intentions to consume fewer cans in the next 7 days (β = -0.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -1.37,-0.08) versus the reference. Few interactions were observed, suggesting that label effects on outcomes were similar by gender and age.
CONCLUSIONS: Health warning labels on alcohol packaging appear to be associated with lower product appeal, higher perceived health risks and reduced consumption intentions, even in the presence of nutrient content claims.
B Substances > Alcohol
J Health care, prevention, harm reduction and treatment > Health related issues > Health information and education > Health labels / labelling
MA-ML Social science, culture and community > Sociocultural aspects of substance use > Societal attitude toward substance use / public opinion
MP-MR Policy, planning, economics, work and social services > Marketing and public relations (advertising)
VA Geographic area > Canada
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