Countermarketing Versus Health Education Messages About Sugar-Sweetened Beverages: An Online Randomized Controlled Trial of US Adults.

View Abstract

To test whether countermarketing messages for sugary drinks lead to lower intentions to consume sugary drinks and less perceived weight stigma than health education messages. In August 2023, we conducted an online randomized controlled trial with US adults (n = 2169). We assessed the effect of countermarketing messages, health education messages, and neutral control messages on intentions to consume sugary drinks and perceived weight stigma. Both countermarketing messages (Cohen  = -0.20) and health education messages ( = -0.35) led to lower intentions to consume sugary drinks than control messages (s < .001). However, both types of messages elicited more perceived weight stigma than control messages (s = 0.87 and 1.29, respectively; s < .001). Countermarketing messages were less effective than health education messages at lowering intentions to consume sugary drinks ( for countermarketing vs health education = 0.14) but also elicited less perceived weight stigma than health education messages ( = -0.39; s < .01). Countermarketing messages show promise for reducing sugary drink consumption while eliciting less weight stigma than health education messages, though they may need to be refined further to minimize weight stigma and maximize effectiveness. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05953194. (. Published online ahead of print October 3, 2024:e1-e11. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307853).

Investigators
Abbreviation
Am J Public Health
Publication Date
2024-10-03
Page Numbers
e1-e11
Pubmed ID
39361914
Medium
Print-Electronic
Full Title
Countermarketing Versus Health Education Messages About Sugar-Sweetened Beverages: An Online Randomized Controlled Trial of US Adults.
Authors
Grummon AH, Zeitlin AB, Lee CJY, Hall MG, Collis C, Cleveland LP, Petimar J