Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31626833›Full record

ArticleAppetite2020

The impact of 'on-pack' pictorial health warning labels and calorie information labels on drink choice: A laboratory experiment.

Eleni Mantzari, Rachel Pechey, Saphsa Codling, Olivia Sexton, Gareth J Hollands, Theresa M Marteau

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Appetite, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
14citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

14 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Pooled it
  7. Trial
  8. Trial
  9. Trial
  10. Evaluation of the trade-off between variety, processing, and low-GI claim in ready-to-eat rice.Food science and technology international = Ciencia y tecnologia de los alimentos internacional · 2026
    Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Eleni MantzariBehaviour and Health Research Unit, University of Cambridge, Forvie Site, Robinson Way, CB2 0SR, Cambridge, UK. Electronic address: em578@medschl.cam.ac.uk.
Rachel PecheyBehaviour and Health Research Unit, University of Cambridge, Forvie Site, Robinson Way, CB2 0SR, Cambridge, UK. Electronic address: rp444@medschl.cam.ac.uk.
Saphsa CodlingBehaviour and Health Research Unit, University of Cambridge, Forvie Site, Robinson Way, CB2 0SR, Cambridge, UK. Electronic address: sc591@medschl.cam.ac.uk.
Olivia SextonBehaviour and Health Research Unit, University of Cambridge, Forvie Site, Robinson Way, CB2 0SR, Cambridge, UK. Electronic address: ors29@medschl.cam.ac.uk.
Gareth J HollandsBehaviour and Health Research Unit, University of Cambridge, Forvie Site, Robinson Way, CB2 0SR, Cambridge, UK. Electronic address: gjh44@medschl.cam.ac.uk.
Theresa M MarteauBehaviour and Health Research Unit, University of Cambridge, Forvie Site, Robinson Way, CB2 0SR, Cambridge, UK. Electronic address: tm388@medschl.cam.ac.uk.

Funding

Department of Health PR-UN-0409-10109Wellcome Trust 106679/Z/14/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are one of the largest added sugar sources to diets in the UK and USA. Health warning labels reduce hypothetical selection of SSBs in online studies but uncertainty surrounds their impact on selection of drinks for consumption. Calorie information labels are also promising but their impact on SSB selection is unclear. This laboratory study assessed the impact on SSB selection of 'on-pack' labels placed directly on physical products: i.a pictorial health warning label depicting an adverse health consequence of excess sugar consumption; and ii.calorie information labels. Potential moderation of any effects by socio-economic position (SEP) was also examined. Participants - 401 adults, resident in England, approximately half of whom were of lower SEP and half of higher SEP, were asked to select a drink from a range of two non-SSBs and four SSBs (subsequent to completing a separate study assessing the effects of food availability on snack selection). The drinks included 'on-pack' labels according to randomisation: Group 1: pictorial health warning label on SSBs; Group 2: calorie information label on all drinks; Group 3: no additional label. The primary outcome was the proportion of participants selecting an SSB. Compared to not having additional labels (39%), neither the pictorial health warning label (40%) nor calorie information labels (43%) affected the proportion of participants selecting an SSB. Lower SEP participants (45%) were more likely to select an SSB compared to those of higher SEP (35%), but SEP did not moderate the impact of labels on drink selection. In conclusion, pictorial health warning labels may be less effective in reducing SSB selection in lab-based compared with online settings, or depending on label design and placement. Findings suggest that effects might be absent when choosing from real products with actual 'on-pack' labels, positioned in a 'realistic' manner. Field studies are needed to further assess the impact of 'on-pack' SSB warning labels in real-world settings to rule out the possible contribution of study design factors.

Indexed as

Energy IntakeAdultChoice BehaviorEducational StatusEnglandFemaleFood LabelingFood PreferencesHealth PromotionHumansMaleMiddle AgedPhotographyRandom AllocationSocioeconomic FactorsSugar-Sweetened BeveragesCalorie labelsEnergy informationGraphic warningsHealth warning labelsOn-packPictorial labelsSSBsSugar-sweetened beverages

Identifiers

PMID31626833
PMCPMC8161725

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.