Nutrition-related claims lead parents to choose less healthy drinks for young children: a randomized trial in a virtual convenience store.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, including fruit drinks (i.e., fruit-flavored drinks containing added sugar), contributes to childhood obesity.

Objectives

We aimed to examine whether nutrition-related claims on fruit drinks influence purchasing among parents and lead to misperceptions of healthfulness.

Methods

We conducted an experiment in a virtual convenience store with 2219 parents of children ages 1-5 y. Parents were randomly assigned to view fruit drinks displaying 1 of 3 claims ("No artificial sweeteners," "100% Vitamin C," and "100% All Natural") or no claim (i.e., control group). Parents selected among each of 2 drinks for their young child: 1) a fruit drink or 100% juice (primary outcome), and 2) a fruit drink or water.

Results

When

SUBMITTER: Hall MG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8971006 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature