The Influence of Fictitious Peers in a Social Media Intervention for Downsizing Portions: The Smart Snacking Studies

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

44 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2016-12-08

Study Completion Date

2017-06-01

Brief Summary

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The 2 interventions aimed to examine whether peer-led nudging on social media may be a way of influencing young adults and adolescents to reduce their self-reported ideal portion sizes of high energy-dense snacks and sugar-sweetened beverages.

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Detailed Description

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Two pilot interventions were conducted which examined the influence of peer-led nudging on social media as a way of influencing self-reported ideal portions of high energy-dense snacks and sugar-sweetened beverages. In both interventions the peers posted images of 'their' snacks and beverages, which constituted the recommended portion, onto an Instagram account. The peers also posted images relating to portion sizes, calories and other information related to health but not specifically portion size. It was hypothesised that viewing images of peers' snacks would influence the participants to reduce their own snack and beverage ideal portion sizes.

Intervention 1 lasted for 2 weeks and recruited young adults and used a within-subjects design. Intervention 2 lasted for 4 weeks and recruited adolescents and used a between-subjects design. In intervention 2, participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention or the control condition. This protocol focusses on intervention 2.

In both interventions, participants in the intervention condition were added to an Instagram account and were required to visit Instagram daily and to like all posts. All participants (intervention and control) completed a survey at baseline and at the end of the intervention, and completed quizzes at the end of each week.

Conditions

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Eating Behavior Social Psychology

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Intervention 2 used a parallel design where participants were either allocated to an intervention or a control group in a between-subjects repeated measures design.

Primary Study Purpose

PREVENTION

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Participants

Participants were informed they were in a study about snacking behaviour but were not told that we were attempting to reduce their portion sizes.

Study Groups

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Smart snacking intervention

In intervention 2 participants took part in a 4-week intervention on Instagram. Participants saw images of fictitious peers' snacks or beverages three times per week, and saw snack information images three times per week. Peer snack images were posted on days 2,4 and 6 of each week, and snack information images were posted on days 1,3 and 5 of each week. Images were posted between 10-11am each day. Participants also completed quizzes related to snacking at the end of weeks 1-3. Participants completed a survey at baseline and intervention end to assess their ideal portion sizes to allow for examination of the effectiveness of the intervention.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Smart snacking intervention

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The smart snacking intervention aimed to examine whether peer-led nudging on social media influenced adolescents to reduce their self-reported ideal portion sizes for a variety of HED snacks and SSBs. In intervention 2, participants were randomly allocated to the intervention or control condition, and their ideal portion sizes were assessed through a survey at baseline and intervention end.

Control

Participants in the control received no intervention. They completed the questionnaires at the end of weeks 1, 2 and 3, and also completed the surveys at baseline and intervention end.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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Smart snacking intervention

The smart snacking intervention aimed to examine whether peer-led nudging on social media influenced adolescents to reduce their self-reported ideal portion sizes for a variety of HED snacks and SSBs. In intervention 2, participants were randomly allocated to the intervention or control condition, and their ideal portion sizes were assessed through a survey at baseline and intervention end.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL