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

Hobin, E ORCID: 0000-0001-6335-2984, Thielman, J, Forbes, SM, Poon, T, Bélanger-Gravel, A, Demers-Potvin, É, Haynes, A, Li, Y, Niquette, M, Paradis, C ORCID: 0000-0003-4344-523X, Provencher, V, Smith, BT ORCID: 0000-0003-2785-1246, Wells, S, Atkinson, A ORCID: 0000-0002-9936-6138 and Vanderlee, L (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. ISSN 0965-2140

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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.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Humans; Persuasive Communication; Alcohol Drinking; Intention; Advertising; Food Labeling; Product Packaging; Alcoholic Beverages; Adolescent; Adult; Middle Aged; Canada; Female; Male; Young Adult; RCT; alcohol; alcohol advertising; alcohol policy; cancer; health warning label; Humans; Female; Male; Adult; Middle Aged; Young Adult; Alcoholic Beverages; Adolescent; Advertising; Food Labeling; Product Packaging; Canada; Persuasive Communication; Intention; Alcohol Drinking; 11 Medical and Health Sciences; 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences; Substance Abuse
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HF Commerce > HF5001 Business > HF5410 Marketing. Distribution of Products T Technology > TX Home economics > TX341 Nutrition. Foods and food supply R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine
Divisions:	Nursing and Advanced Practice
Publisher:	Wiley
Date of acceptance:	11 February 2024
Date of first compliant Open Access:	27 June 2024
Date Deposited:	27 Jun 2024 11:58
Last Modified:	04 Jul 2025 11:00
DOI or ID number:	10.1111/add.16475
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/23650

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