Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32308190›Full record

Trial reportPublic health nutrition2020

Testing the efficacy of and parents' preferences for nutrition labels on children's menus from a full-service chain restaurant: results of an online experiment.

Rachel J L Prowse, Kirsten M Lee, Emily Chen, Fei Zuo, David Hammond, Erin Hobin

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Public health nutrition, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Online RCT of Icon Added-Sugar Warning Labels for Restaurant Menus.American journal of preventive medicine · 2023
    Trial
  2. Trial
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.

Rachel J L ProwsePublic Health Ontario, 480 University Ave, Suite 300, Toronto, ONM5G 1V2, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-3015-2385
Kirsten M LeeSchool of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave West, Waterloo, ONN2L 3G1, Canada.
Emily ChenPublic Health Ontario, 480 University Ave, Suite 300, Toronto, ONM5G 1V2, Canada.
Fei ZuoApplied Health Research Centre, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, 30 Bond St., Toronto, ONM5B 1W8, Canada.
David HammondSchool of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave West, Waterloo, ONN2L 3G1, Canada.
Erin HobinPublic Health Ontario, 480 University Ave, Suite 300, Toronto, ONM5G 1V2, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTest the efficacy and perceived effectiveness of nutrition labels on children's menus from a full-service chain restaurant in an online study.

designUsing a between-groups experiment, parents were randomised to view children's menus displaying one of five children's nutrition labelling conditions: (i) No Nutrition Information (control); (ii) Calories Only; (iii) Calories + Contextual Statement (CS); (iv) Calories, Sodium + CS; or (v) Calories and Sodium in Traffic Lights + CS. Parents hypothetically ordered up to one entrée, side, beverage and dessert for their child, then rated and ranked all five labelling conditions on the level of perceived effectiveness.

settingOnline survey.

participants998 parents with a 3-12 year old child.

resultsParents exposed to menus displaying 'Calories, Sodium + CS' selected significantly fewer calories 'overall' (entrées + side + dessert + beverage) compared to parents exposed to the control condition (-53·1 calories, P < 0·05). Parents selected 'entrees' with significantly fewer calories and lower sodium when exposed to menus with 'Calories + CS' (-24·3 calories, P < 0·05); 'Calories, Sodium + CS' (-25·4 calories, -56·1 mg sodium, P < 0·05 for both); and 'Calories and Sodium in Traffic Lights + CS' (-29·1 calories, -58·6 mg sodium, P < 0·05 for both). Parents exposed to menus with 'Calories, Sodium + CS' and 'Calories and Sodium in Traffic Lights + CS' were more likely to notice and understand nutrition information compared to other nuntrition labelling conditions. Parents perceived the menu with 'Calories and Sodium in Traffic Lights + CS' as most effective (P < 0·05).

conclusionsMenus disclosing calories, sodium and a contextual statement increased the proportion of parents who noticed and understood nutrition information, and resulted in parents selecting lower calorie and sodium entrées for their children in the hypothetical purchase task.

Indexed as

Choice BehaviorAdultChildChild, PreschoolDiet, HealthyFemaleFood LabelingFood PreferencesHumansMaleMenu PlanningParentsRestaurantsChildrenMenu labellingNutritionParentsRandomised controlled trial

Identifiers

PMID32308190
PMCPMC10200564

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.