Dietary and Cognitive Effects of Food Ads Posted by TikTok Influencers

A Randomized Controlled Trial Examining How TikTok Influencers' Posts With Vs. Without Food Differentially Affect Youth Dietary Choices

Randomized and controlled experimental study to evaluate how influencer food ads on TikTok affect calorie purchases among youth (ages 10-13). Participants will be randomized to one of two conditions: (1) seeing an influencer with food or (2) seeing an influencer without food. Participants will complete a 15-minute survey in which they will be randomized to one of two conditions and view and rate TikTok influencer ads associated with their condition. Then they will complete a food purchasing task in which they will shop in an online store that will display six food items and six beverages. Finally, they will answer demographic questions (e.g., self-reported height and weight) and view a debriefing summary that describes the full purpose of the study.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Calorie Consumption
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: TikTok Ads - With Food; Behavioral: TikTok Ads - Without Food

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 100
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Zora Hall; Phone Number: (646) 501-3716; Email: Zora.hall@nyulangone.org
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Krystle Tsai; Phone Number: (646) 501-3391; Email: Krystla.Tsai@nyulangone.org

Study Locations

• United States
  • New York
    • New York, New York, United States, 10016
      • Recruiting
      • NYU Langone Health

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 10 years to 13 years (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Participants must be 10-13 years old
• Identify as only non-Latino White or only Black/African American
• Report that they log into TikTok at least once daily
• Read and speak English

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any criteria not met as listed above will bar an adolescent from participating in the study

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: TikTok Influencer Ads with Food; Participants randomized to view TikTok influencers' posts with food will view 4 ads associated with their condition and 2 filler ads, all of which are presented in counterbalanced order. They will report their reaction to the ads using the icons available on the TikTok platform (i.e. like, comment, or share). After viewing all of the TikTok ads, youth participants will complete the virtual snack selection task where they will see a virtual vending machine. All items will cost $2. Participants will be asked to select one snack and one beverage from the vending machine. After the snack selection task, participants will review the TikTok ads again and complete survey questions.	Behavioral: TikTok Ads - With Food; TikTok posts from influencers promoting food.
Experimental: TikTok Influencer Ads without Food; Participants randomized to view TikTok influencers' posts without food will view 4 ads associated with their condition and 2 filler ads, all of which are presented in counterbalanced order. They will report their reaction to the ads using the icons available on the TikTok platform (i.e. like, comment, or share). After viewing all of the TikTok ads, youth participants will complete the virtual snack selection task where they will see a virtual vending machine. All items will cost $2. Participants will be asked to select one snack and one beverage from the vending machine. After the snack selection task, participants will review the TikTok ads again and complete survey questions.	Behavioral: TikTok Ads - Without Food; TikTok posts from influencers who are not promoting food.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Calorie Count from Snacks Chosen at Virtual Vending Machine	Day 1

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: NYU Langone Health
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Marie Bragg, PhD, NYU Langone Health

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 17, 2023
• Primary Completion (Estimated): May 31, 2024
• Study Completion (Estimated): May 31, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 8, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 8, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): March 21, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): January 25, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 24, 2024
• Last Verified: January 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: 22-01632

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: The de-identified participant data from the final research dataset used in the published manuscript will be shared upon reasonable request beginning 9 months and ending 36 months following article publication or as required by a condition of awards and agreements supporting the research provided the investigator who proposes to use the data executes a data use agreement with NYU Langone Health. Requests may be directed to: Zora.hall@nyulangone.org. The protocol and statistical analysis plan will be made available on Clinicaltrials.gov only as required by federal regulation or as a condition of awards and agreements supporting the research.
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: Beginning 9 months and ending 36 months following article publication or as required by a condition of awards and agreements supporting the research.
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: The investigator who proposed to use the data will be granted access upon reasonable request. Requests should be directed to Zora.hall@nyulangone.org. To gain access, data requestors will need to sign a data access agreement.
• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: STUDY_PROTOCOL; SAP

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No