Using Nudge Strategies to Promote Healthier Beverage Intake Among College Students

Overview

The primary objective of this study is to investigate whether three nudging interventions would affect the beverage selection and consumption behaviors of Chinese university students. These interventions encompass providing information on the sugar content of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), disseminating harmful information about SSBs, and showcasing the social norm that the majority of students opt for mineral water. Through a single-factor between-subjects experiment, we aim to examine the impact of these nudge interventions on the proportion of students choosing sugary drinks versus mineral water, thereby assessing their effectiveness in guiding healthier beverage choices.

As the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and chronic diseases continues to escalate, excessive consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) has emerged as a growing public health concern globally. One approach to reducing beverage intake while conserving resources is the utilization of nudge strategies. Nudge strategies, characterized by their low cost and ease of implementation, facilitate individuals in making more accurate and beneficial choices in a predictable manner, through subtle interventions that do not prohibit any options or significantly alter incentives. This nudge experiment will be conducted in a classroom setting, where participants will be randomly assigned to four groups for beverage selection: No Nudge Intervention Group, Sugar Content Information Nudge Group, Sugar Harmful information Nudge Group and Social Norm Nudge Group. Participants will access the nudge content specific to their respective groups via the professional survey platform of Questionnaire Star and make a choice between cola and mineral water.