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A latest research printed in Preventive Medicine discovered that messaging campaigns discouraging the consumption of unhealthy drinks have been extra promising than these selling wholesome drinks amongst dad and mom within the United States (US).
Background
Overconsumption of sugary drinks results in weight achieve, sort 2 diabetes, heart problems, and weight problems. In distinction, ingesting water ensures hydration, and changing sugary drinks with water can decrease physique weight and enhance fasting glucose and blood stress. Despite the declining consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks over the previous decade, almost 40% of adults devour them on any given day. Messaging campaigns are promising for bettering beverage consumption.
Mass media campaigns have diminished the acquisition and consumption of sugary drinks whereas rising the consumption of low-fat milk and water. Messaging interventions undertake totally different approaches to advertise more healthy beverage consumption; for example, campaigns might emphasize the dangers of overconsumption or encourage utilizing more healthy drinks. Notwithstanding, it stays unclear which strategy(es) could be extra helpful.
About the research
In the current research, 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 not less than one youngster aged 2 – 12 in 2019. Participants have been randomized to one of many 4 messaging circumstances – 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 Pounds” 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. Participants considered their assigned messages and accomplished a web based survey in English/Spanish earlier than offering demographic particulars.
The main outcomes have been perceived message effectiveness for discouraging soda and inspiring water, assessed with three objects tailored from the University of North Carolina (UNC) Perceived Message Effectiveness (PME) scale. The secondary outcomes have been affective reactions and intentions related to ingesting soda or water.
Findings
The crew recruited 1,078 US dad and mom with a median age of 35.3. Around 48% of members recognized as Latino, and most Latino respondents have been from Mexico. Most members have been White (74%), 13% have been Black/African, and 11% have been of different races. Approximately half the pattern had an annual family earnings beneath $50,000.
Participants receiving the soda consumption discouraging message had increased perceived discouragement from ingesting soda than those that didn’t obtain this message. Moreover, this message additionally precipitated extra damaging emotions about soda consumption and stronger intentions to keep away from soda. Participants receiving this message expressed increased encouragement, optimistic emotions, and stronger intentions to drink water.
Similarly, topics assigned to the water encouragement message had increased encouragement for water consumption than those that didn’t obtain this message. It additionally led to extra optimistic emotions and stronger intentions to drink water.
Contrastingly, the encouragement message didn’t produce spillover results on soda-related outcomes. That is, it discouraged members from ingesting 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 an analogous influence on water consumption-related outcomes.
Notably, the analysis crew noticed that the impact of both message weakened when each have been offered to members. Discouragement from ingesting soda was decreased when members considered each messages concurrently. The identical development was evident in members’ emotions and intentions for soda consumption.
Conclusions
To summarize, messages that discouraged ingesting soda or promoted water consumption resulted in members having increased perceived encouragement for ingesting water, with extra optimistic emotions and stronger intentions to devour water. In addition, the soda discouragement message produced a better perceived discouragement, extra damaging emotions, and intentions to keep away from soda.
Moreover, there have been favorable spillover results on outcomes associated to water consumption with the soda discouragement message. Therefore, the findings recommend that messages, particularly these geared toward discouraging sugary drinks, might enhance beverage consumption.