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Alcohol and Cancer Message Testing Experiment

23. September 2026 aktualisiert von: Jacob Rohde, University of Connecticut

Public Health Messaging Survey

Alcohol increases the risk for at least seven cancers, yet recent estimates suggest only between one-third and one-half of US adults are aware of this risk. The current study aims to develop and test alcohol-cancer messages designed for a mass media public health campaign. The messages will be informed by theory-based constructs proximal to health behavior change (e.g., perceived likelihood/severity of harm, response efficacy). We will evaluate messages via an online, cross-sectional message testing randomized experiment. Participants will be US adults aged 21+ recruited from Qualtrics Panels.

Studienübersicht

Status

Noch keine Rekrutierung

Bedingungen

Intervention / Behandlung

Detaillierte Beschreibung

Rational:

Alcohol increases the risk for at least seven cancers, yet recent estimates suggest only between one-third and one-half of US adults are aware of this risk. Raising public awareness of the alcohol-cancer link can encourage better informed choices about alcohol and promote reduced consumption, yet the most effective strategies for raising such awareness remain to be determined.

One potential strategy is the use of alcohol-cancer risk messages, which could be disseminated through various communication channels (e.g., public service announcements, communication campaigns). However, such messages can differ in numerous ways, including their substantive content and the specific language used to communicate risk, and the optimal design of these messages and their effects on audiences remains to be determined.

Ours and others' prior work has tested different alcohol-cancer warning label messages in experimental studies. These experiments have tested the effects of using causal vs. hedging language, the utility of adding pictograms in warning labels, different ways to frame the alcohol-cancer risk relationship, and the type of cancer to communicate in warning labels. The overarching goal of these studies was to develop effective warning labels that could be added to alcohol beverages.

The current study aims to extend this work by developing and preliminarily evaluating alcohol-cancer messages designed for a mass media public health campaign. These messages will be informed by theory-based constructs proximal to health behavior change (e.g., perceived likelihood/severity of harm, response efficacy). We will evaluate messages via an online, cross-sectional message testing randomized experiment. Participants will be US adults aged 21+ recruited from Qualtrics Panels.

Objective:

The primary objective of this study is to identify how different alcohol-cancer message frames affect message-related perceptions and related health outcomes (e.g., perceived message effectiveness, risk beliefs, drinking intentions). Findings will help inform future alcohol harm reduction health communication efforts.

Guiding research question:

  1. Do different alcohol-cancer message frames affect people's a) message receptivity, b) alcohol-related attitudes and risk perceptions, and c) drinking intentions?
  2. Do any factors moderate the effects of exposure to different alcohol-cancer message frames (e.g., drinking status as a moderator)?

Studientyp

Interventionell

Einschreibung (Geschätzt)

1400

Phase

  • Unzutreffend

Kontakte und Standorte

Dieser Abschnitt enthält die Kontaktdaten derjenigen, die die Studie durchführen, und Informationen darüber, wo diese Studie durchgeführt wird.

Studienkontakt

Teilnahmekriterien

Forscher suchen nach Personen, die einer bestimmten Beschreibung entsprechen, die als Auswahlkriterien bezeichnet werden. Einige Beispiele für diese Kriterien sind der allgemeine Gesundheitszustand einer Person oder frühere Behandlungen.

Zulassungskriterien

Studienberechtigtes Alter

21 Jahre und älter (Erwachsene, Älterer Erwachsener)

Akzeptiert gesunde Freiwillige

Ja

Studienberechtigte Geschlechter

Alle

Beschreibung

Inclusion Criteria:

  • currently reside in the US;
  • be aged 21 years or older; and
  • speak English.

Exclusion Criteria:

- none beyond failure to meet the inclusion criteria.

Studienplan

Dieser Abschnitt enthält Einzelheiten zum Studienplan, einschließlich des Studiendesigns und der Messung der Studieninhalte.

Wie ist die Studie aufgebaut?

Designdetails

  • Hauptzweck: Verhütung
  • Zuteilung: Zufällig
  • Interventionsmodell: Parallele Zuordnung
  • Maskierung: Doppelt

Waffen und Interventionen

Teilnehmergruppe / Arm
Intervention / Behandlung
Experimental: Perceived likelihood frame

Exposure to two alcohol-cancer messages that convey the probability of experiencing a health harm (i.e., cancer) from a particular hazard (i.e., drinking alcohol).

The intervention will be administered in an online survey experiment as static images displayed to participants.

Randomized exposure to one of five alcohol-cancer health campaign message frames, or a non-cancer alcohol harms frame.

Experimental: Harm reduction frame

Exposure to two alcohol-cancer messages that encourage reducing how much alcohol people drink. The intervention will be administered in an online survey experiment as static images displayed to participants.

Randomized exposure to one of five alcohol-cancer health campaign message frames, or a non-cancer alcohol harms frame.

Experimental: Perceived severity frame

Exposure to two alcohol-cancer messages that convey how serious getting alcohol-associated cancer will be. The intervention will be administered in an online survey experiment as static images displayed to participants.

Randomized exposure to one of five alcohol-cancer health campaign message frames, or a non-cancer alcohol harms frame.

Experimental: Response efficacy frame

Exposure to two alcohol-cancer messages that emphasize the effectiveness of protective behaviors for reducing alcohol-associated cancer risk. The intervention will be administered in an online survey experiment as static images displayed to participants.

Randomized exposure to one of five alcohol-cancer health campaign message frames, or a non-cancer alcohol harms frame.

Experimental: Harm prevention frame

Exposure to two alcohol-cancer messages that emphasize completely abstaining from drinking alcohol. The intervention will be administered in an online survey experiment as static images displayed to participants.

Randomized exposure to one of five alcohol-cancer health campaign message frames, or a non-cancer alcohol harms frame.

Aktiver Komparator: Surgeon General's frame

Exposure to two alcohol-cancer messages that do not discuss alcohol-associated cancer risk. Instead, the messages use language from the existing U.S. Surgeon General's warning on alcoholic beverages. The intervention will be administered in an online survey experiment as static images displayed to participants.

Randomized exposure to one of five alcohol-cancer health campaign message frames, or a non-cancer alcohol harms frame.

Kein Eingriff: Control

Participants randomized to control will not be exposed to any message stimuli.

Was misst die Studie?

Primäre Ergebnismessungen

Ergebnis Maßnahme
Maßnahmenbeschreibung
Zeitfenster
Perceived message effectiveness - effects perceptions
Zeitfenster: Day 1; post intervention exposure

A 3-item scale adapted from prior effects perception PME and substance use literature. After each message exposure, participants will be asked to respond to the following items: 1) This message discourages me from wanting to drink alcohol; 2) This message makes me concerned about the health effects of drinking alcohol; and 3) This message makes drinking alcohol seem unpleasant to me. Items will be assessed on a 5-point scale ranging from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (5). We will assess internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha. Assuming adequate measure reliability, we will average the items into a single composite PME measure.

Day 1; post intervention exposure

Sekundäre Ergebnismessungen

Ergebnis Maßnahme
Maßnahmenbeschreibung
Zeitfenster
Drinking intentions
Zeitfenster: Day 1; post intervention exposure

Intentions will be assessed with a 3-item scale adapted from prior substance use and health communication research. Participants will answer each of the following questions: How likely is it that you will drink alcohol in the... 1) next week, 2) next month, and 3) next year. Responses will be on 5-point scales ranging from "not at all" (1) to "extremely" (5). We will assess internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha. Assuming adequate measure reliability, we will average the items into a single composite measure.

Day 1; post intervention exposure
Message reactance
Zeitfenster: Day 1; post intervention exposure

Message reactance will be assessed with a brief 3-item scale used in prior research. Participants will respond to the following statements: 1) This message is trying to manipulate me, 2) The health effect in this message is overblown, and 3) This message annoys me. Responses will be assessed on 5-point scales ranging from "strongly disagree" (1) to "strongly agree" (5). We will assess internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha. Assuming adequate measure reliability, we will average the items into a single composite measure.

Day 1; post intervention exposure
Non-alcoholic beer message perceptions
Zeitfenster: Day 1; post intervention exposure

A single item that has participants respond to the following statement: "This message makes me think drinking non-alcoholic beer is healthier than alcoholic beer." This item will be assessed on a 5-point scale ranging from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (5).

Day 1; post intervention exposure
Perceived message effectiveness - message perceptions
Zeitfenster: Day 1; post intervention exposure

A 5-item scale assessing perceptions of each message, adapted from prior work. After each message exposure, participants will respond to the following items: 1) "This message grabs my attention"; 2) "This message is believable"; 3) "This message is credible"; 4) "This message is trustworthy"; and 5) "I learned something new from this message." Items will be assessed on a 5-point scale ranging from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (5). We will assess internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha. Assuming adequate measure reliability, we will average the items into a single composite measure.

Day 1; post intervention exposure
Attitudes toward alcohol
Zeitfenster: Day 1; post intervention exposure

A 3-item measure assessing attitudes toward drinking alcohol. Participants will rate drinking alcohol on three 5-point bipolar scales: 1) harmful/safe; 2) bad/good; and 3) unhealthy/healthy. We will assess internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha. Assuming adequate reliability, we will average the items into a single composite attitude measure.

Day 1; post intervention exposure
Intentions to reduce alcohol use
Zeitfenster: Day 1; post intervention exposure

Assessed only among participants who currently drink alcohol. Participants will be asked, "How likely are you to reduce how much alcohol you drink?" Responses will be assessed on a 5-point scale ranging from not at all (1) to very much (5).

Day 1; post intervention exposure
Alcohol-cancer causal beliefs
Zeitfenster: Day 1; post intervention exposure

Causal beliefs will be assessed with a single item: "How likely do you think it is that alcohol causes cancer?" Responses will be assessed on a 5-point scale ranging from not at all (1) to very much (5).

Day 1; post intervention exposure
Intentions to quit drinking alcohol
Zeitfenster: Day 1; post intervention exposure

Participants who currently drink alcohol will be asked, "How likely are you to quit drinking alcohol?" Responses will be assessed on a 5-point scale ranging from not at all (1) to very much (5).

Day 1; post intervention exposure
Alcohol-cancer risk beliefs
Zeitfenster: Day 1; post intervention exposure

We will assess risk beliefs using a 3-item scale assessing affective, experiential, and deliberative perceptions of cancer risk among participants who currently drink alcohol. The measure stem will state, "If you continue to drink alcohol at your current level…" Participants will then answer the following items: 1) "How worried are you about eventually getting cancer?"; 2) "To what extent could you see yourself eventually getting cancer?"; and 3) "How likely do you think it is that you will eventually get cancer?" Items will be assessed on a 5-point scale ranging from not at all (1) to very much (5). We will assess these items separately, as they tap into different tri-risk constructs; however, for exploratory purposes we will also assess internal consistency of the three items using Cronbach's alpha. Assuming adequate reliability, we will average the items into a single composite measure.

Day 1; post intervention exposure
Support for message on alcohol containers
Zeitfenster: Day 1; post intervention exposure

Assessed with a single item: "I believe a message like this should be added to alcohol beverage containers." Responses will be assessed on a 5-point scale ranging from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (5).

Day 1; post intervention exposure
Perceived effectiveness of message on alcohol containers
Zeitfenster: Day 1; post intervention exposure

Assessed with a single item: "Seeing a message like this on an alcoholic beverage would make me think twice about drinking alcohol." Responses will be assessed on a 5-point scale ranging from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (5).

Day 1; post intervention exposure

Mitarbeiter und Ermittler

Hier finden Sie Personen und Organisationen, die an dieser Studie beteiligt sind.

Sponsor

Studienaufzeichnungsdaten

Diese Daten verfolgen den Fortschritt der Übermittlung von Studienaufzeichnungen und zusammenfassenden Ergebnissen an ClinicalTrials.gov. Studienaufzeichnungen und gemeldete Ergebnisse werden von der National Library of Medicine (NLM) überprüft, um sicherzustellen, dass sie bestimmten Qualitätskontrollstandards entsprechen, bevor sie auf der öffentlichen Website veröffentlicht werden.

Haupttermine studieren

Studienbeginn (Geschätzt)

1. September 2026

Primärer Abschluss (Geschätzt)

1. Oktober 2026

Studienabschluss (Geschätzt)

1. Oktober 2026

Studienanmeldedaten

Zuerst eingereicht

17. September 2026

Zuerst eingereicht, das die QC-Kriterien erfüllt hat

23. September 2026

Zuerst gepostet (Tatsächlich)

30. September 2026

Studienaufzeichnungsaktualisierungen

Letztes Update gepostet (Tatsächlich)

30. September 2026

Letztes eingereichtes Update, das die QC-Kriterien erfüllt

23. September 2026

Zuletzt verifiziert

1. September 2026

Mehr Informationen

Begriffe im Zusammenhang mit dieser Studie

Zusätzliche relevante MeSH-Bedingungen

Andere Studien-ID-Nummern

  • B2026-0294
  • Faculty Startup Funds (Andere Kennung: UConn College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources)

Plan für individuelle Teilnehmerdaten (IPD)

Planen Sie, individuelle Teilnehmerdaten (IPD) zu teilen?

JA

Beschreibung des IPD-Plans

We will share anonymized IPD with researchers upon reasonable request to the project Principal Investigator.

IPD-Sharing-Zeitrahmen

IPD will be available on an ad hoc basis upon reasonable request for at least three years after the experiment is completed.

IPD-Sharing-Zugriffskriterien

Other researchers who provide a reasonable request about how they will use the data (e.g., validation, secondary analyses, etc).

Arzneimittel- und Geräteinformationen, Studienunterlagen

Studiert ein von der US-amerikanischen FDA reguliertes Arzneimittelprodukt

Nein

Studiert ein von der US-amerikanischen FDA reguliertes Geräteprodukt

Nein

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