A recent study published in Preventive Medicine found that messaging campaigns discouraging the consumption of unhealthy beverages were more promising than those promoting healthy drinks amongst parents in america (US).

Study: Should messages discourage sugary drinks, encourage water, or each? A randomized experiment with U.S. parents. Image Credit: WS-Studio/Shutterstock

Background

Overconsumption of sugary beverages results in weight gain, type 2 diabetes, heart problems, and obesity. In contrast, drinking water ensures hydration, and replacing sugary drinks with water can lower body weight and improve fasting glucose and blood pressure. Despite the declining intake of sugar-sweetened beverages over the past decade, nearly 40% of adults devour them on any given day. Messaging campaigns are promising for improving beverage intake.

Mass media campaigns have reduced the acquisition and intake of sugary drinks while increasing the consumption of low-fat milk and water. Messaging interventions adopt different approaches to advertise healthier beverage consumption; as an example, campaigns may emphasize the risks of overconsumption or encourage using healthier beverages. Notwithstanding, it stays unclear which approach(es) could be more useful.

In regards to the study

In the current study, researchers evaluated how parents within the US reply to messages that discourage soda intake, promote water, or each. They recruited a convenience sample of US parents with at the least one child aged 2 – 12 in 2019. Participants were randomized to considered one of the 4 messaging conditions – 1) control message, 2) soda discouragement, 3) water encouragement, and 4) soda discouragement and water encouragement messages.

The messages were adapted from the “Pouring on the Kilos” campaign. The soda discouragement message included a picture of soda turning into fat while being poured right into a glass. The water encouragement message had an image of water turning right into a body silhouette because it was poured right into a glass. Participants viewed their assigned messages and accomplished a web-based survey in English/Spanish before providing demographic details.

The first outcomes were perceived message effectiveness for discouraging soda and inspiring water, assessed with three items adapted from the University of North Carolina (UNC) Perceived Message Effectiveness (PME) scale. The secondary outcomes were affective reactions and intentions related to drinking soda or water.

Findings

The team recruited 1,078 US parents with a mean age of 35.3. Around 48% of participants identified as Latino, and most Latino respondents were from Mexico. Most participants were White (74%), 13% were Black/African, and 11% were of other races. Roughly half the sample had an annual household income below $50,000.

Participants receiving the soda intake discouraging message had higher perceived discouragement from drinking soda than those that didn’t receive this message. Furthermore, this message also caused more negative feelings about soda intake and stronger intentions to avoid soda. Participants receiving this message expressed higher encouragement, positive feelings, and stronger intentions to drink water.

Similarly, subjects assigned to the water encouragement message had higher encouragement for water intake than those that didn’t receive this message. It also led to more positive feelings and stronger intentions to drink water.

Contrastingly, the encouragement message didn’t produce spillover effects on soda-related outcomes. That’s, it discouraged participants from drinking soda but didn’t influence feelings about soda intake or intentions to avoid soda.

The authors found that the discouragement message had a more substantial effect on soda consumption-related outcomes than the water encouragement message. The discouragement message had stronger effects on perceived discouragement, feelings about soda intake, and intentions to avoid soda. In contrast, the 2 messages had the same impact on water consumption-related outcomes.

Notably, the research team observed that the effect of either message weakened when each were presented to participants. Discouragement from drinking soda was decreased when participants viewed each messages concurrently. The identical trend was evident in participants’ feelings and intentions for soda consumption.

Conclusions

To summarize, messages that discouraged drinking soda or promoted water intake resulted in participants having higher perceived encouragement for drinking water, with more positive feelings and stronger intentions to devour water. As well as, the soda discouragement message produced a better perceived discouragement, more negative feelings, and intentions to avoid soda.

Furthermore, there have been favorable spillover effects on outcomes related to water consumption with the soda discouragement message. Due to this fact, the findings suggest that messages, especially those aimed toward discouraging sugary drinks, could improve beverage consumption.