Effects of UPF Warning Labels on Social Media Among Teens and Young Adults

Online Randomized Experiment Evaluating Ultra-Processed Food Warning Labels on Social Media Posts Among Teens and Young Adults

This study aims to evaluate whether Ultra-Processed Food (UPF) warning labels on social media posts improve consumer understanding and influence purchase intentions among teens and young adults. Participants aged 13-29 in the United States will be recruited and randomized into two groups: a control group (no label) and an intervention group (UPF warning). Participants will view social media posts featuring UPFs with or without warning labels and respond to survey questions following each post.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Food Preferences; Healthy Diet; Nutrition
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: UPF Warning Labels; Behavioral: No Labels (Control)

Detailed Description

This study is designed to assess the effect of a highly visible UPF warning label on social media posts among adolescents and young adults in the United States. we will recruit approximately 500 US teens aged 13-17 and 500 young adults aged 18-29.

Participants will complete a between-subjects online randomized experiment. They will be randomized into either a UPF warning label group or a no label control group. Participants will view four social media posts featuring UPFs (with or without warning labels based on their assigned group) in random order. These posts are based on real Instagram advertisements from leading food and beverage companies; two posts will feature sugar-sweetened beverages and two will feature fast-food menu items. After viewing each post, participants will answer questions assessing consumer understanding, purchase intentions, and perceived healthfulness. At the end of the survey, all participants will also respond to questions regarding perceptions of control over healthy eating, policy support for UPF warnings, and their understanding of the term "ultra-processed food."

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 1000
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Yuru Huang, PhD; Phone Number: 901-448-8019; Email: yhuang76@uthsc.edu
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Anna Grummon, PhD; Phone Number: 650-644-7366; Email: agrummon@stanford.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • Tennessee
    • Memphis, Tennessee, United States, 38163
      • UTHSC Department of Preventive Medicine
      • Contact: Yuru Huang, PhD; Phone Number: 901-448-8019; Email: yhuang76@uthsc.edu

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Aged 13-29
• Reside in the US
• Can read and speak English

Exclusion Criteria:

• Under the age of 13 or over 29
• Reside outside of the United States
• Unable to complete a survey in English

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: UPF Warning Labels; UPF warning labels will be placed beneath each social media post. Each label will feature an icon accompanied by explanatory text, using the exact health risk wording proposed in the Childhood Diabetes Reductions Act: "Warning: consuming ultra-processed foods and drinks can cause weight gain, which increases the risk of obesity and type-2 diabetes". All text will be left-aligned. The icon will consist of exclamation marks within a yellow triangle. The warning label will be large and highly visible and enclosed within a bold rectangular border.	Behavioral: UPF Warning Labels; Participants will view four Instagram posts featuring UPFs, displayed with warning labels
Other: No Label (Control); No label	Behavioral: No Labels (Control); Participants will view four Instagram posts featuring UPFs, displayed without warning labels

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Consumer understanding	For each social media post, participants will be asked whether they think the product is ultra-processed. Response options will be "yes", "no", or "I don't know". Consumer understanding will be coded as a binary outcome: "yes" = correct; "no" and "I don't know" = incorrect.	Assessed during one-time 10-minute online study survey
Purchase intentions	For each social media post, participants will be asked how likely they would buy the product in the next week, either in-store or online. Response options will be on a 1-5 Likert scale, with 5 being "very likely". Higher scores indicate higher intentions to purchase the product.	Assessed during one-time 10-minute online study survey

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Perceived healthfulness	For each social media post, participants will be asked how healthy the product seems to them. Responses options will be on a 1-5 Likert scale, with 5 indicating "very healthy". Higher scores indicate higher perceived healthfulness.	Assessed during one-time 10-minute online study survey
Perceptions of control over healthy eating	After viewing all four social media posts, all participants will be shown the UPF warning label (regardless of condition) and asked whether the UPF warning labels make them feel "less in control of making healthy eating decision," "neither less nor more in control or making healthy eating decisions," or "more in control of making healthy eating decisions." Responses will be binary coded: "more in control" = 1; "less" or "neither" = 0.	Assessed during one-time 10-minute online study survey
Policy support for ultra-processed food warning labels	After viewing all four social media posts, all participants will be shown the UPF warning label (regardless of condition) and asked whether they support or oppose a policy requiring these labels on social media advertisements for ultra-processed foods and beverages. Response options will be on a 1-5 Likert scale, with 5 indicating "Strongly support." Higher scores will indicate higher support for warning labels.	Assessed during one-time 10-minute online study survey

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Tennessee
• Collaborators: Stanford University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Yuru Huang, University of Tennessee; Principal Investigator: Anna Grummon, Stanford University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): December 1, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 20, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 20, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 10, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 11, 2025
• First Posted (Estimated): November 12, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): December 2, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 24, 2025
• Last Verified: November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavior; Feeding Behavior; Food Preferences
• Other Study ID Numbers: 25-10909-NHSR

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: Investigators will post de-identified individual participant data in a public repository.
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: Investigators will post IDP within 6 months of publication of manuscripts associated with the data generated in this study.
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: Data and code will be made publicly available.
• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: SAP; ANALYTIC_CODE

Drug and device information, study documents

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