Public Health, The Royal Free London NHS Trust, London, NW3 2QG, UK.
Public Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, WC1E 7HT, London, UK.
Health Promot Int. 2024 Oct 1;39(5). doi: 10.1093/heapro/daae037.
Many alcohol-industry-funded (AIF) organizations disseminate eHealth/mHealth tools that claim to assist users in making health decisions by monitoring alcohol consumption, e.g. blood alcohol calculators, AUDIT scores, consumption trackers. Previously, AIF materials were found to contain health misinformation that could increase consumption (dark nudges) or make healthy behaviour change more difficult (sludge). The accuracy and functionality of AIF tools have never been analysed, and given the history of AIF materials it is possible they contain misinformation and function as covert marketing channels to promote alcohol-industry-friendly narratives on the causes and possible solutions of alcohol-related harms. We evaluated the information accuracy and framing, behaviour change techniques (BCTs), and functions of AIF digital tools (n = 15, from the UK, Ireland, the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia; including Drinkaware, Drinkwise, Educ'alcool and others), compared to a non-industry-funded independent sample (n = 10). We identified misinformation and 'dark patterns' (interface design strategies for influencing users against their interest) throughout AIF tools; significantly fewer provided accurate feedback (33% vs 100%), and significantly more omitted information on cancer (67% vs 10%) and cardiovascular disease (80% vs 30%) and promoted industry-friendly narratives (47% vs 0%). AIF tools encouraged consumption through priming nudges (53%) and social norming (40%). AIF tools utilized fewer BCTs, provided users with more limited pre-set options (54%), and fewer drink choices (mean 24 vs 275). Their input structure often impeded their ability to provide guideline advice. We conclude that AIF tools contain pro-industry misinformation strategies and dark patterns that misinform users about their consumption and could 'nudge' them towards continuing to drink alcohol-characteristics of 'Dark Apps' designs.
许多由酒精行业资助的（AIF）组织传播电子健康/移动健康工具，声称通过监测饮酒量，例如血液酒精计算器、AUDIT 评分、饮酒追踪器，帮助用户做出健康决策。此前，发现 AIF 材料包含可能增加消费的健康错误信息（暗推）或使健康行为改变更加困难（烂泥）。AIF 工具的准确性和功能从未经过分析，考虑到 AIF 材料的历史，它们有可能包含错误信息，并作为隐蔽的营销渠道，宣传与酒精相关伤害的原因和可能解决方案有关的对酒精行业友好的说法。我们评估了 AIF 数字工具（来自英国、爱尔兰、美国、加拿大、新西兰、澳大利亚，n = 15；包括 Drinkaware、Drinkwise、Educ'alcool 等）的信息准确性和框架、行为改变技术（BCT）以及功能，与非行业资助的独立样本（n = 10）进行了比较。我们在 AIF 工具中发现了错误信息和“暗模式”（影响用户利益的界面设计策略）；提供准确反馈的工具明显较少（33% 对 100%），明显更少提供有关癌症（67% 对 10%）和心血管疾病（80% 对 30%）的信息，并更加强调行业友好的说法（47% 对 0%）。AIF 工具通过启动暗示（53%）和社会规范（40%）鼓励消费。AIF 工具使用的 BCT 较少，为用户提供的预设选项更有限（54%），可供选择的饮品更少（平均值 24 对 275）。它们的输入结构往往会阻碍其提供指导方针建议的能力。我们得出结论，AIF 工具包含支持行业的错误信息策略和暗模式，这些策略会使用户对自己的饮酒量产生误解，并可能“暗示”他们继续饮酒——这是“暗应用程序”设计的特征。
