LOSS-FRAMED COMMUNICATION AND FRONT-OF-PACKAGE NUTRITION LABELING: EFFECTS ON ADOLESCENTS’ FOOD CHOICES AND VISUAL ATTENTION

Communication campaigns may increase effectiveness of front-of-package nutrition labeling (FOPNL). This study investigated the effect of exposure to a loss-framed message, compared with no prior exposure, on the purchasing behavior of adolescents aged 13–17 years across different socioeconomic backgrounds. Visual attention to FOPNL and snack product choices were assessed using choice task designed to simulate real-world purchasing situation. A total of 232 adolescents were recruited from private and public schools in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and randomly assigned to four experimental groups: PrSNI (Private School without exposure, n = 50), PrSI (Private School with exposure, n = 51), PuSNI (Public School without exposure, n = 68), and PuSI (Public School with exposure, n = 63). Participants imagined shopping for snacks and selected up to five products  avalilable on experimental shelves, which had fruits, bakery products, sweet and savory biscuits, refrigerated food and spreads, and beverages while wearing eye-tracking glasses (Pupil® Labs GmbH). . Grapes (35%) were the most frequently selected product. Only 12% of participants selected no products without FOPNL. Among FOPNL products, filled biscuits (25%) and sugar-sweetened guarana-flavored beverage (22%) were the most frequently selected; both displayed a “High in added sugar” warning. Only 6% consulted back-of-package information, all from groups exposed to FOPNL information. Furthermore, only 19% fixated on FOPNL during product selection. Significant differences were observed among experimental conditions in the proportion of products selected (p = 0.0178), indicating that loss-framed message and sociodemographic profile influenced food choices. PrSNI participants tended to select more hazelnut spread. Among informed groups, private-school participants tended to select more grapes and less ham, whereas public-school participants selected more whole-wheat bread, bottled water, and reduced-sugar corn flakes, and less hazelnut spread. Prior FOPNL information and sociodemographic characteristics influenced adolescents’ food choices, although visual attention to FOPNL and back-of-package information remained limited.