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. 2021 Aug;112(4):647-662.
doi: 10.17269/s41997-021-00475-x. Epub 2021 Mar 25.

Exploring the main and moderating effects of individual-level characteristics on consumer responses to sugar taxes and front-of-pack nutrition labels in an experimental marketplace

Rachel B Acton  1 , Sharon I Kirkpatrick  1 , David Hammond  2
Affiliations

Exploring the main and moderating effects of individual-level characteristics on consumer responses to sugar taxes and front-of-pack nutrition labels in an experimental marketplace

Rachel B Acton et al. Can J Public Health. 2021 Aug.

Abstract
in English, French

Intervention: This study examined whether the impacts of sugar taxes and front-of-pack (FOP) nutrition labels differ across socio-demographic subgroups.

Research question: What are the main and moderating effects of individual-level characteristics on the nutrient content of participants' purchases in response to varying taxation levels and FOP labels?

Methods: Data from an experimental marketplace were analyzed. A sample of 3584 Canadians aged 13 years and older received $5 to purchase an item from a selection of 20 beverages and 20 snack foods. Participants were shown products with one of five FOP labels and completed eight within-subject purchasing tasks with different tax conditions. Linear mixed models were used to estimate the main and moderating effects of 11 individual-level variables on the sugars, sodium, saturated fats, and calorie content of participants' purchases.

Results: Participants who were younger, male, and more frequent consumers of sugary drinks purchased products containing more sugars, sodium, saturated fats, and calories. Sex and age moderated the relationship between tax condition and sugars or calories purchased: female participants were more responsive than males to a tax that included fruit juice, and younger participants were more responsive to all sugar tax conditions than older participants. Reported thirst and education level also moderated the relationship between tax condition and calories purchased. No individual-level characteristics moderated the effects of FOP labels.

Conclusion: A small proportion (7 of 176) of the moderating effects tested in this study were significant. Sugar taxes and FOP labelling policies may therefore produce similar effects across key socio-demographic groups.

RéSUMé: INTERVENTION: Dans cette étude, nous avons cherché à déterminer si les effets des taxes sur le sucre et de l’étiquetage nutritionnel sur le devant des emballages sont les mêmes dans différents sous-groupes sociodémographiques. QUESTION DE RECHERCHE: Quels sont les principaux effets et les effets modérateurs des caractéristiques individuelles sur le contenu nutritionnel des achats des participants quand le niveau des taxes et l’étiquetage sur le devant des emballages varient? MéTHODE: Nous avons analysé les données d’un marché expérimental. Nous avons offert à un échantillon de 3 584 Canadiens de 13 ans et plus 5 $ pour acheter un article parmi 20 boissons et 20 grignotines. Les participants se sont fait présenter des produits portant l’une de cinq étiquettes sur le devant de l’emballage et ont effectué huit tâches d’achat intra-sujet avec différentes modalités de taxation. Des modèles linéaires mixtes ont servi à estimer les principaux effets et les effets modérateurs de 11 variables individuelles sur la teneur en sucres, en sodium, en graisses saturées et en calories des achats des participants. RéSULTATS: Les jeunes, les participants de sexe masculin et les consommateurs fréquents de boissons sucrées ont acheté des produits contenant plus de sucres, de sodium, de graisses saturées et de calories. Le sexe et l’âge ont modéré la relation entre la modalité de taxation et les sucres ou les calories achetés : les filles et les femmes étaient plus sensibles que les garçons et les hommes à une taxe incluant les jus de fruits, et les jeunes étaient plus sensibles à toutes les modalités de taxation du sucre que les participants plus âgés. La soif et le niveau d’instruction autodéclarés ont aussi modéré la relation entre la modalité de taxation et les calories achetées. Aucune caractéristique individuelle n’a modéré les effets des étiquettes sur le devant des emballages. CONCLUSION: Seule une petite proportion (7 sur 176) des effets modérateurs testés dans l’étude était significative. Les politiques de taxation du sucre et d’étiquetage sur le devant des emballages pourraient donc produire des effets semblables dans plusieurs groupes sociodémographiques clés.

Keywords: Epidemiologic effect modifiers; Health policy; Nutrition labelling; Nutrition policy; Socio-economic factors; Taxes.

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Conflict of interest statement

David Hammond has provided paid expert testimony on behalf of public health authorities in response to legal challenges from the food and beverage industry. All remaining authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Sample images of front-of-pack nutrition labelling conditions (excluding a no label control), applied to beverage and snack food products in an experimental marketplace. Clockwise from top left: high in, health star rating, nutrition grade, multiple traffic light
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Graphical representation of the moderating effects of individual-level characteristics on tax condition for sugars and calories purchased in beverages and snack foods in an experimental marketplace. Values presented for categorical variables (sex, thirst, education) are estimated marginal means. Values for continuous variables (age) represent lines of best fit for predicted values derived from the associated linear mixed model. Error bars represent 95% confidence intervals
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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