Department of Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Department of Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Am J Prev Med. 2024 Apr;66(4):609-618. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2023.11.020. Epub 2024 Jan 8.
Excise taxes on unhealthy products like sugary drinks and tobacco can reduce purchases of these products. However, little research has investigated whether messages at the point of purchase, such as enhanced price tags, can increase the effects of taxes by heightening psychological reactions. This study aimed to examine whether including messages about taxes on price tags could amplify the benefits of excise taxes on unhealthy products.
In 2022, an online study recruited 1,013 U.S. parents to view seven price tag messages (e.g., "includes a 19% sugary drink tax") and a control (i.e., standard price tag with the tax included in the price) displayed in random order alongside sugary drinks. Participants were randomly assigned to view a caution-symbol icon or no icon on price tags. Analyses were conducted in 2023.
All seven messages discouraged parents from buying sugary drinks for their children compared to control (average differential effects [ADEs] ranged from 0.28 to 0.48, all p<0.001). All messages led to greater attention to the price tag (ADEs ranged from 0.24 to 0.41, all p<0.001) and greater consideration of the cost of sugary drinks (ADEs ranged from 0.31 to 0.50, all p<0.001). Icons elicited higher cost consideration than text-only price tags (ADE=0.15, p<0.010), but not discouragement (p=0.061) or attention (p=0.079).
Messaging on price tags could make excise taxes more effective. Policymakers should consider requiring messaging on price tags when implementing taxes.
对含糖饮料和烟草等不健康产品征收消费税可以减少这些产品的购买。然而，很少有研究调查过购买点的信息，如增强的价格标签，是否可以通过增强心理反应来增加税收的效果。本研究旨在检验在价格标签上包含有关税收的信息是否可以放大对不健康产品征收消费税的好处。
2022 年，一项在线研究招募了 1013 名美国父母，让他们查看七个价格标签信息（例如，“包含 19%的含糖饮料税”）和一个对照（即包含在价格中的税收的标准价格标签），这些信息是随机排列在含糖饮料旁边的。参与者被随机分配查看价格标签上的警告符号图标或没有图标。分析于 2023 年进行。
与对照相比，所有七个信息都劝阻了父母为孩子购买含糖饮料（平均差异效应[ADE]范围为 0.28 至 0.48，均 p<0.001）。所有信息都导致了对价格标签的更高关注（ADE 范围为 0.24 至 0.41，均 p<0.001）和对含糖饮料成本的更多考虑（ADE 范围为 0.31 至 0.50，均 p<0.001）。图标引起的成本考虑高于仅文本的价格标签（ADE=0.15，p<0.010），但不包括劝阻（p=0.061）或关注（p=0.079）。
价格标签上的信息可以使消费税更有效。政策制定者在实施税收时应考虑在价格标签上要求信息。
