An interventional study of choice architecture and choice architecture in Obesity and Food Selection, sponsored by Nanjing Medical University. Recruiting at 1 site in China. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-07-07.
Sponsored by Nanjing Medical University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention
The primary objective of this study was to examine whether three nudging strategies influence beverage consumption behavior among Chinese university students. These interventions included health warning messages, hedonic labeling, and a combination of health warning and hedonic labeling. A between-subjects experimental design with a single factor was employed to assess the effects of these strategies on students' choices between sugar-sweetened and sugar-free beverages, thereby evaluating their effectiveness in promoting healthier beverage selections.
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 study will be conducted in a classroom setting, where participants will be randomly assigned to one of four groups: a no-nudge control group, a health warning group, a hedonic labeling group, and a combined health warning plus hedonic labeling group.
11,522 studies on the registry are indexed under Obesity; 2,033 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 1,000 is above the median of 67 across 9,006 interventional studies indexed under Obesity.
Browse Obesity studies →Nanjing Medical University is the lead sponsor of 171 studies on the registry; 52 are open to participants now.
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Exclusion Criteria:
none
In this group, no nudge interventions were implemented, only data were collected.
The platform presented information outlining the potential health risks associated with excessive consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages.
Behavioral: choice architecture
Students are exposed to hedonic information about sugar-free beverages on the Wenjuanxing platform to "nudge" students towards healthier choices
Behavioral: choice architecture
Students receive both health-risk messages about sugary drinks and hedonic information about sugar-free beverages on the Wenjuanxing platform, combining two nudging strategies to promote healthier choices.
Behavioral: choice architecture
Showing the various harms that can come from long-term excessive consumption of sugary beverages on the platform.
The platform shows the hedonic information about sugar-free beverages.
The platform shows both hedonic information about sugar-free beverages and information on the various harms of long-term excessive sugary beverage consumption.
The proportion (or likelihood) of selecting sugar-free beverages
The probability of choosing a sugar-free beverage (binary outcome: sugar-sweetened = 0, sugar-free = 1) across five menu-selection tasks.
Time frame: day 1
Participants' Perceived Intrusiveness of Nudges
A 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree) was employed. Higher scores indicate greater perceived intrusiveness.
Time frame: day 1
Participants' Support for Nudges
A 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree) was employed. Higher scores indicate greater support for the nudging strategy
Time frame: day 1
Participants' Perceived effectiveness of Nudges
A 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree) was employed. Higher scores indicate greater perceived effectiveness.
Time frame: day 1
Started Jul 2026 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Jul 2026, 0 months after the start.
Of 3,680 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Obesity, half reached primary completion within 23 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 10 and three quarters within 43. This study's planned 0 months is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 3,843 studies reached it within 22 months; a quarter within 10 and three quarters within 42.
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