Providing easily understandable caloric information may be a low-cost strategy for lowering overall caloric intake among groups at high risk for obesity, particularly Black and Hispanic adolescents ages 12 to 18. The aims of the study are to: 1) examine if providing caloric information on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) significantly reduces the frequency and volume of SSB purchases; 2) identify the most effective modes of communicating caloric information about SSBs; and 3) examine if providing caloric information has a persistent effect on behavior post-intervention. Investigators will conduct focus groups to identify the most promising caloric messages to evaluate. For the intervention, six corner stores in Baltimore City will be randomly assigned to one of four treatment conditions for a one-month period during which adolescent beverage purchases data will be collected. Investigators will additionally use the street-intercept method to conduct exit interviews with one-quarter of the study sample. In the post-intervention phase, investigators will collect beverage purchase information at the six stores to test if prior exposure of caloric information has a persistent effect on beverage purchasing behavior among the target population.
Start Date: November 2011
ID #: 69292
Principal Investigator: Sara Bleich, PhD
Co-Principal Investigator: Bradley Herring, PhD
Organization: Johns Hopkins University
Funding Round: Round 6
Age Groups: Adolescents (grades 9 to 12), Young adolescents (grades 6 to 8)
Race/Ethnicity: African American or Black, Multi-racial/ethnic
Focus Areas: Beverages, Food Marketing
Keywords: Community setting, Corner store, Food outlet, Neighborhood, Point-of-decision prompts, Sugar-sweetened beverages, Urban
Resource Type: Grant Summary
State: Maryland
Related Research
October 2014
Easy-to-Understand Calorie Information Reduces Sugary Drink Purchases Among Teens
Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) are an important contributor to adolescent obesity. One promising environmental strategy to reduce consumption of SSBs is to provide consumers with easily understandable caloric information. This infographic examines the effect of in-store calorie signage on adolescent sugary drink purchases. Findings presented in this infographic come from a related HER-funded journal article.October 2014
Reducing Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption by Providing Caloric Information: How Black Adolescents Alter Their Purchases and Whether the Effects Persist
This paper examines the ways in which adolescents altered the type and size of their purchases of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in response to an intervention in six corner stores located in lower-income, predominately black neighborhoods in Baltimore, Maryland. Researchers used one of four randomly posted signs with caloric information about a 20 ounce SSB: 1) MoreDecember 2024