This is an online study that aims to test the effectiveness of Interpretative Nutrition Rating Systems (INRS) such as the Health Star Rating System (HSR or Star System), traffic light system and warning labels (high sodium, saturated fat and sugar) proposed by Health Canada. The study will incorporate the use of a Smartphone application (app), FoodFlip®, to help educate consumers on each INRS prior to their exposure on food packages.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
2,008
Behavioural: Nutrition Rating Systems (shown on the online survey and the mobile app) provide consumers with an interpretation of the healthfulness of a food or beverage, by indicating the levels (low=green, moderate=amber, high=red) of sodium, saturated fat and sugar in a product based on modified Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) criteria.
Behavioural: Nutrition Rating Systems (shown on the online survey and the mobile app) provide consumers with an interpretation of the healthfulness of a food or beverage product by indicating the number of stars awarded to a product, from 0.5 to 5 stars, based on modified Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) nutrient profiling criteria.
University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Comprehension task - ability to identify healthy products (survey measure)
The participant's ability to identify the most healthy product in a group of 5 products in a task rating 5 products with varying levels of 'healthiness' according to modified FSANZ criteria. Question wording: Please rank these products in terms of healthiness where 1 is the"most healthy" and 5 is the "least healthy" cereal
Time frame: 1 day (assessed immediately after app task and while viewing products with labelling system applied
Comprehension task - ability to identify unhealthy products (survey measure)
The participant's ability to identify the least healthy product in a group of products in a group of 5 products in a task rating 5 products with varying levels of 'healthiness' according to modified FSANZ criteria. Question wording: Please rank these products in terms of healthiness where 1 is the"most healthy" and 5 is the "least healthy" cereal
Time frame: 1 day (assessed immediately after app task and while viewing products with labelling system applied
Comprehension task - ability to identify the overall 'healthiness' of a product (survey measure - Likert scale)
The participant's ability to accurately rate a product as more or less healthy according to the type and amount of nutritional information on the product, using a 7 point Likert scale. Question wording: How healthy is this (product) for you?
Time frame: 1 day (assessed immediately after app task and while viewing products with labelling system applied
Hypothetical purchasing of products (survey measure - Likert scale)
The participant's perceived likelihood of purchasing a product according to the type and amount of nutritional information on the product, using a 7 point Likert scale. Question wording: Assume this product has a cost similar to other (product category). If you were shopping for (product), how likely would you be to purchase this one?
Time frame: 1 day (assessed immediately after app task and while viewing products with labelling system applied
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Behavioural: Nutrition Rating Systems (shown on the online survey and the mobile app) provide consumers with an interpretation of the healthfulness of a food or beverage product by indicating with a warning label products that are "high" in sodium, saturated fat and sugar, based on a percent daily value (%DV) greater than 15% for individual products and 30% for combination dishes.
This is embedded within each condition to inform and educate consumers about the labelling condition/intervention to which they are randomized. All participants are assigned to an app task to view 20 products and see the 'rating' these products would get according to their condition.