A current examine revealed in Preventive Medication discovered that messaging campaigns discouraging the consumption of unhealthy drinks have been extra promising than these selling wholesome drinks amongst dad and mom in the USA (US).
Background
Overconsumption of sugary drinks results in weight achieve, sort 2 diabetes, heart problems, and weight problems. In distinction, consuming water ensures hydration, and changing sugary drinks with water can decrease physique weight and enhance fasting glucose and blood strain. Regardless of the declining consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks over the previous decade, practically 40% of adults devour them on any given day. Messaging campaigns are promising for enhancing beverage consumption.
Mass media campaigns have lowered the acquisition and consumption of sugary drinks whereas rising the consumption of low-fat milk and water. Messaging interventions undertake completely different approaches to advertise more healthy beverage consumption; for example, campaigns might emphasize the dangers of overconsumption or encourage utilizing more healthy drinks. However, it stays unclear which method(es) can be extra useful.
Concerning the examine
Within the current examine, researchers evaluated how dad and mom within the US reply to messages that discourage soda consumption, promote water, or each. They recruited a comfort pattern of US dad and mom with a minimum of one baby aged 2 – 12 in 2019. Contributors have been randomized to one of many 4 messaging situations – 1) management message, 2) soda discouragement, 3) water encouragement, and 4) soda discouragement and water encouragement messages.
The messages have been tailored from the “Pouring on the Kilos” marketing campaign. The soda discouragement message included a picture of soda turning into fats whereas being poured right into a glass. The water encouragement message had an image of water turning right into a physique silhouette because it was poured right into a glass. Contributors seen their assigned messages and accomplished an internet survey in English/Spanish earlier than offering demographic particulars.
The first outcomes have been perceived message effectiveness for discouraging soda and inspiring water, assessed with three gadgets tailored from the College of North Carolina (UNC) Perceived Message Effectiveness (PME) scale. The secondary outcomes have been affective reactions and intentions related to consuming soda or water.
Findings
The workforce recruited 1,078 US dad and mom with a median age of 35.3. Round 48% of individuals recognized as Latino, and most Latino respondents have been from Mexico. Most individuals have been White (74%), 13% have been Black/African, and 11% have been of different races. Roughly half the pattern had an annual family earnings beneath $50,000.
Contributors receiving the soda consumption discouraging message had larger perceived discouragement from consuming soda than those that didn’t obtain this message. Furthermore, this message additionally precipitated extra damaging emotions about soda consumption and stronger intentions to keep away from soda. Contributors receiving this message expressed larger encouragement, constructive emotions, and stronger intentions to drink water.
Equally, topics assigned to the water encouragement message had larger encouragement for water consumption than those that didn’t obtain this message. It additionally led to extra constructive emotions and stronger intentions to drink water.
Contrastingly, the encouragement message didn’t produce spillover results on soda-related outcomes. That’s, it discouraged individuals from consuming soda however didn’t affect emotions about soda consumption or intentions to keep away from soda.
The authors discovered that the discouragement message had a extra substantial impact on soda consumption-related outcomes than the water encouragement message. The discouragement message had stronger results on perceived discouragement, emotions about soda consumption, and intentions to keep away from soda. In distinction, the 2 messages had the same influence on water consumption-related outcomes.
Notably, the analysis workforce noticed that the impact of both message weakened when each have been introduced to individuals. Discouragement from consuming soda was decreased when individuals seen each messages concurrently. The identical pattern was evident in individuals’ emotions and intentions for soda consumption.
Conclusions
To summarize, messages that discouraged consuming soda or promoted water consumption resulted in individuals having larger perceived encouragement for consuming water, with extra constructive emotions and stronger intentions to devour water. As well as, the soda discouragement message produced a better perceived discouragement, extra damaging emotions, and intentions to keep away from soda.
Furthermore, there have been favorable spillover results on outcomes associated to water consumption with the soda discouragement message. Subsequently, the findings counsel that messages, particularly these aimed toward discouraging sugary drinks, might enhance beverage consumption.
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