Online Food and Beverage Labels and Vending Machine Selections (VLO)

The aim of this study is to compare the impact of 5 different types of front of package (FOP) food and beverage labels: 1) calorie labels [control], 2) green labels on healthy foods, 3) red/yellow/green labels on less healthy/moderately healthy/healthy foods, 4) physical activity calorie equivalent labels, and 5) "High in" nutrient warning labels) on consumers' beverage and snack selections.

This project involves an online randomized experiment. We are working with an external survey company that will recruit 8,000 participants to complete an online survey in which they will be randomized to one of the five different label conditions: 1) calorie labels (control condition); 2) single green traffic light labels (on healthy foods); 3) multiple traffic light labels (red traffic light labels applied to less healthy foods, yellow applied to moderately healthy foods, and green on healthy foods); 4) physical activity labels (calorie content displayed in terms of physical activity equivalents); 5) "High in" warnings (applied to all products exceeding thresholds for calories, saturated fat, sugar, or sodium content). Participants will be instructed to select products to purchase in a mock vending machine. After purchasing their products, they will be asked to answer questions about their perceptions of the different labels.

Participants will be randomly assigned to 1 of 5 front-of-package labeling arms with equal probability: Participants will complete two vending machine choice tasks with their assigned labels shown (one for beverages, one for snack foods, in random order). For each choice task, participants will be asked to select 1 item they most wish to purchase. We will incentivize truthful responding by instructing participants that they could be randomly selected to have their choice delivered to them. We will record participants' selections and match these to nutrition information.

Green label added to front of product packaging for healthy products; no additional labels shown for "less healthy" products

Red/yellow/green labels added to front of product packaging for less healthy/moderately healthy/healthy products, respectively

Labels added to front of product packaging that display products' calorie content in terms of physical activity required to burn those calories

Labels added to front of product packaging that signal when the product exceeds thresholds for sugar, sodium, saturated fat, or calorie content

All beverages and foods labeled as either healthy (green), moderately healthy (yellow), or less healthy (red)

Warning labels only for beverages and foods that exceed the thresholds for sugar, sodium, saturated fat, or calorie content

Participants will select a beverage to purchase from the online vending machine. Outcome is binary: beverage has calories or not.

Participants will select a beverage to purchase from the online vending machine. Outcome is calories in beverage chosen to purchase - only for those participants who chose a beverage with calories.

Participants will select a snack to purchase from the online vending machine. Outcome is calories in snacks chosen to purchase.

Participants will select a beverage to purchase in the virtual store. Outcome is percentage of people selecting a healthy beverage (green labeled in the traffic light condition)

Participants will select a beverage to purchase in the virtual store. Outcome is percentage of people selecting a moderately healthy beverage (yellow labeled in the traffic light condition)

Participants will select a beverage to purchase in the virtual store. Outcome is percentage of people selecting a less healthy beverage (red labeled in the traffic light condition)

Participants will select a snack to purchase in the virtual store. Outcome is percentage of people selecting a healthy snack (green labeled in the traffic light condition)

Participants will select a snack to purchase in the virtual store. Outcome is percentage of people selecting a moderately healthy snack (yellow labeled in the traffic light condition)

Participants will select a snack to purchase in the virtual store. Outcome is percentage of people selecting a less healthy snack (red labeled in the traffic light condition)

Participants will select a beverage to purchase from the online vending machine. Outcome is saturated fat in beverage chosen to purchase.

Participants will select a beverage to purchase from the online vending machine. Outcome is sodium in beverage chosen to purchase.

Participants will select a beverage to purchase from the online vending machine. Outcome is total sugar in beverage chosen to purchase.

Participants will select a snack to purchase from the online vending machine. Outcome is saturated fat in snack chosen to purchase.

Participants will select a snack to purchase from the online vending machine. Outcome is sodium in snack chosen to purchase.

Participants will select a snack to purchase from the online vending machine. Outcome is total sugar in snack chosen to purchase.

This variable will be measured on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from "very unhealthy" to "very healthy".

This variable will be measured on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from "very unhealthy" to "very healthy".

This variable will be measured on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from "very unhealthy" to "very healthy".

This variable will be measured on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from "very unhealthy" to "very healthy".

This variable will be measured on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from "very unhealthy" to "very healthy".

This variable will be measured on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from "very unhealthy" to "very healthy".

Participants will respond "yes," "no," or "not sure" to the item: "When you were selecting a beverage and a snack, did you notice any other nutrition labels on or next to the products?"

Participants will respond on a 5-point scale ranging from "Not at all" to "A great deal" to the item: "How much did you use this label to help you decide what beverage to buy?"

Participants will respond on a 5-point scale ranging from "Not at all" to "A great deal" to the item: "How much did you use this label to help you decide what snack to buy?"

Item: "How much do you trust or distrust the information on this label?". Responses will be measured on a 5-point Likert scale from "completely distrust" to "completely trust".

We will examine the average reactance to the label (said the label is trying to manipulate me, or annoys me). Each reactance item will be scored on a 5-pt likert scale from "not at all" to "a great deal".

Item: "How much does this label grab your attention?". Responses will be measured on a 5-point Likert scale from "not at all" to "a great deal".

Item: "To what extent did you learn something new from this label?". Responses will be measured on a 5-point Likert scale from "not at all" to "a great deal".

Item: "How much does this label make you think about the health effects of food and beverages?". Responses will be measured on a 5-point Likert scale from "not at all" to "a great deal"

We will examine if they said the label discourages them from choosing unhealthy products. This item will be scored on a 5-pt likert scale from "not at all" to "a great deal"

We will examine if they said the label encourages them to choose healthy products. This item will be scored on a 5-pt likert scale from "not at all" to "a great deal"

We will examine the average negative emotional response to the label (said the label made them feel worried, scared, guilty, ashamed, or sad). Each emotion will be scored on a 5-pt likert scale from "not at all" to "a great deal".

Participants will respond to the item "Overall does this label make you feel…" with one of 3 responses: "less in control of making healthy eating decisions", "more in control of healthy eating decisions", or "neither less nor more in control of making healthy eating decisions"

Participants will respond to the item "How personally stigmatized does this label make you feel?" on a 5-pt likert scale from "not at all" to "a great deal".

We will examine the average stigma response to the label (the label stigmatizes people with obesity, the label increases blame toward people for being overweight). Each stigma item will be scored on a 5-pt likert scale from "not at all" to "a great deal".

Participants will respond to the item "How disgusted do people with obesity make you feel?" on a 5-pt likert scale from "not at all" to "a great deal".

Inclusion Criteria: Participants will be US adults Ages 18 or older With an over-sample of adults with lower educational attainment (some college or less) Exclusion Criteria: Younger than 18 Non-US Educational quota filled

In the consenting process, participants agreed that de-identified data produced from this project may be distributed for future research studies without additional informed consent. After analysis, we will upload the de-identified data to ResearchBox for public sharing.