Social Media Ads for Calorie Intake

Overseen By Zora Hall

Age: < 18

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: NYU Langone Health

Disqualifiers: Non-English speakers, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 1

480 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to understand how different factors in social media ads, such as the presence of unhealthy foods, the race of people in the ads, and the number of "likes," affect calorie intake. Participants will view various ad types, including those featuring Black or White individuals, food or non-food products, and varying numbers of "likes." Teens aged 13-17 who identify as either non-Latino White or Black/African American, use Instagram daily, and can read and speak English might be a good fit. This unphased trial offers a unique opportunity to contribute to understanding social media's impact on health behaviors.

Do I need to stop my current medications for this trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

Is there any evidence suggesting that this trial's treatments are likely to be safe?

Research has shown that social media ads can influence eating habits, but merely viewing these ads isn't harmful. Studies have found that watching food ads, especially for unhealthy foods, can lead to increased calorie consumption. For instance, just five minutes of junk food ads can cause children to consume an extra 130 calories in a day.

This trial examines how different types of ads—such as those featuring people of different races or showing different numbers of "likes"—affect attention and calorie consumption. The ads include both food and non-food products and feature Black or White individuals with varying numbers of "likes."

Since this trial is in the "Not Applicable" phase, it does not test a new drug or medical treatment, so the usual safety concerns of drug trials do not apply. The goal is to understand how seeing ads affects eating habits, not to assess physical safety. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about this trial because it explores how different social media advertising strategies might influence calorie intake. Unlike traditional approaches that focus solely on dietary advice or nutritional education, this trial examines the impact of ads featuring various combinations of presenters and engagement levels, like the number of "likes." By investigating how these factors affect people's food choices, the trial could uncover new insights into the power of social media on eating habits. This could lead to innovative ways to promote healthier eating through tailored advertising strategies, making it a fresh angle in tackling dietary issues.

What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could be effective?

This trial will explore the impact of different social media ads on calorie intake. Participants will view various ads, including those featuring food products with either Black or White individuals, as well as ads with varying numbers of "likes." Studies have shown that food ads, regardless of whether they feature Black or White people, can lead to increased eating. Research found that children consumed more after watching food ads compared to non-food ads. Evidence suggests that social media "likes" on food ads can influence food choices, with more likes making the product appear more popular and appealing. Specifically, seeing food ads with many likes has been linked to consuming more calories and choosing less healthy foods. This pattern remains consistent, regardless of the race of the people in the ads or the number of likes, demonstrating that food ads can influence eating habits. ^{4 6 7 8 9}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Marie A. Bragg, PhD

Principal Investigator

NYU Langone Health

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for non-Latino White or Black/African American adolescents aged 13-17 who use Instagram daily and can read and speak English. It's not open to those who don't meet these specific criteria.

Inclusion Criteria

Logs into Instagram once daily

I am a teen aged 13-17 and identify as either non-Latino White or Black/African American only.

Exclusion Criteria

Participants who do not meet all criteria described above

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1 week

Exposure

Participants are exposed to various social media ads to test visual attention and caloric intake

1 day

1 visit (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for caloric intake and visual attention metrics

1 week

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Black-Food
• Black-Non Food
• Food-Few Likes
• Food-Many Likes
• Non Food-Few
• Non Food-Many Likes
• White-Food
• White-Non Food

Trial Overview The study tests how attention to unhealthy food, people of the same race, and 'likes' in social media ads might influence calorie intake after seeing the ad. Participants are randomly shown different types of ads with these variables.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Block 8: Non Food-Few Likes Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Exposure to ads with few "likes" featuring a non-food product

Group II: Block 7: Food-Few Likes Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Exposure to ads with few "likes" featuring a food product

Group III: Block 6: Non Food-Many Likes Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Exposure to ads with many "likes" featuring a non-food product

Group IV: Block 5: Food-Many Likes Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Exposure to ads with many "likes" featuring a food product

Group V: Block 4: White-Non Food Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Exposure to ads with a White person featuring a non-food product

Group VI: Block 3: Black-Non Food Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Exposure to ads with a Black person featuring a non-food product

Group VII: Block 2: White-Food Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Exposure to ads with a White person featuring a food product

Group VIII: Block 1: Black-Food Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Exposure to ads with a Black person featuring a food product

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

NYU Langone Health

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,431

Recruited

838,000+

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Collaborator

Trials

2,896

Recruited

8,053,000+

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Collaborator

Trials

14,080

Recruited

41,180,000+

New York University

Collaborator

Trials

249

Recruited

229,000+

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9858861/

The impact of racially-targeted food marketing and attentional ... Black youth who are exposed to racially-targeted food ads and have food-related ABs may be particularly vulnerable to overconsumption, although ...

2. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10229379/

The Effects of Food Advertisements on Food Intake and ... They found that all children ate more after exposure to food advertising compared with nonfood advertising, suggesting that unhealthy food advertising exposure ...

3. jamanetwork.com jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2822718

Trends in Children's Exposure to Food and Beverage ... This repeated cross-sectional study found that, from 2013 to 2022, advertisements seen declined by 77.6% for children aged 2 to 5 years and by 78.5% for those ...

4. ajph.aphapublications.org ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/10.2105/AJPH.2007.115626

The Context for Choice: Health Implications of Targeted Food ... Targeted marketing of high-calorie foods and beverages to ethnic minority populations, relative to more healthful foods, may contribute to ethnic disparities ...

5. journals.copmadrid.org journals.copmadrid.org/clysa/art/clh2025a15

Effects of Food Advertising on Youth's Eating Behavior Results: Findings were inconclusive, with six of twelve studies reporting a positive relationship, while the other six found no association.

6. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9014864/

The Racialized Marketing of Unhealthy Foods and ... We propose that marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to Black and Latino consumers results from the intersection of a business model in which profits ...

7. usrtk.org usrtk.org/food-related-diseases/junk-food-target-communities-of-color-increasing-risks-covid-19/

Junk food makers heavily target Blacks and Latinos US food companies disproportionately target Black and Hispanic consumers with marketing for high-calorie, low- nutrient products including candy, sugary drinks ...

8. americanhealth.jhu.edu americanhealth.jhu.edu/news/evaluating-black-youth-led-social-marketing-campaign-healthier-food-and-beverages

Evaluating a Black Youth-Led Social Marketing Campaign ... A social marketing campaign targeting healthier food and beverages to Black communities, including Black youth, reached more than three million people.

9. blackhealthmatters.com blackhealthmatters.com/the-rise-of-celebrity-endorsed-calories/

The Rise of Celebrity-Endorsed Calories Celebrity-endorsed calories are reshaping culture, influence, and eating habits. Are we gaining weight as a result?