Can a health warning label diminish the persuasive effects of health-oriented nutrition advertising on ready-to-drink alcohol product packaging? A randomized experiment.

Ariane Bélanger-Gravel, Justin Thielman, Theresa Poon, Erin Hobin, Ashleigh Haynes, Lana Vanderlee, Ye Li, Véronique Provencher, Samantha M Forbes, Élisabeth Demers-Potvin, Manon Niquette, Catherine Paradis, Brendan T Smith, Samantha Wells, Amanda Atkinson

Journal: Addiction (Abingdon, England) 2024;119(7):1238-1252

PMID: 38528612

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Abstract

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.

Address: Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Canada.; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.; Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Canada.; Department of Information and Communication, Université Laval, Québec, Canada.; Centre NUTRISS-Nutrition, santé et société, Institut sur la nutrition et les aliments fonctionnels (INAF), Université Laval, Québec, Canada.; Research Center of the Quebec Heart and Lung Institute, Québec, Canada.; Centre NUTRISS-Nutrition, santé et société, Institut sur la nutrition et les aliments fonctionnels (INAF), Université Laval, Québec, Canada.; École de nutrition, Université Laval, Québec, Canada.; Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Australia.; Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.; Centre NUTRISS-Nutrition, santé et société, Institut sur la nutrition et les aliments fonctionnels (INAF), Université Laval, Québec, Canada.; Département d'information et de communication, Université Laval, Québec, Canada.; Canadian Centre for Substance Use and Addiction, Ottawa, Canada.; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.; Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada.; Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada.; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.; School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.; Public Health Institute, Faculty of Health, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.

DOI: 10.1111/add.16475

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MeSH Terms: Humans, Female, Male, Adult, Middle Aged, Young Adult, Alcoholic Beverages, Adolescent, Advertising, Food Labeling, Product Packaging, Canada, Persuasive Communication, Intention, Alcohol Drinking