Message on a bottle: are alcohol warning labels about cancer appropriate?

Abstract

BackgroundAlthough most Australians are unaware of the risk, there is strong evidence for a direct link between alcohol consumption and many types of cancer. Warning labels on alcohol products have been proposed as a cost-effective strategy to inform the community of this health risk. We aimed to identify how Australians might respond to such an approach.MethodsWe conducted a national online survey canvassing responses to four separate cancer warning messages on labels. The graphically presented messages were informed by qualitative data from a series of focus groups among self-identified ‘light-to-moderate’ drinkers. For each label, participants were asked their level of agreement with impact statements about raising awareness, prompting conversation, influencing drinking behaviour and educating others about cancer risk. We analysed responses according to demographic and other factors, including self-reported drinking behaviour (using the 3-item Alcohol Use Disorder Test – AUDIT-C – scores).ResultsApproximately 1600 participants completed the survey, which was open to all Australian adults over a period of 1 month in 2014. Overall, the labels were well received, with the majority (>70 %) agreeing all labels could raise awareness and prompt conversations about the cancer risk associated with alcohol. Around 50 % or less agreed that the labels could influence drinking behaviour, but larger proportions agreed that the labels would prompt them to discuss the issue with family and friends. Although sex, AUDIT-C score and age were significantly associated with agreement on bivariate analysis, multivariate analyses demonstrated that being inclined to act upon warning label recommendations in general was the most important predictor of agreement with all of the impact statements. Having a low AUDIT-C score also predicted agreement that the labels might prompt behaviour change in friends.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that providing detailed warnings about cancer risk on alcohol products is a viable means of increasing public awareness of the health risks associated with alcohol consumption. Further research is needed to explore the ability of such warnings to influence behavioural intentions and actual drinking behaviour.

Alcohol Warnings and Moderate Drinking Patterns among Italian University Students: An Exploratory Study

“…The questionnaire was pilot-tested with a sample of 20 students in order to verify the comprehensibility of questions and the suitability of the language for the target in question. The final questionnaire comprised 30 questions, sub-divided into four sections:The first section analysed general habits and motivation of alcohol consumption, asking questions previously used in national and European surveys on alcohol consumption behaviour [3,18];The second section analysed awareness of health and social risks related to alcohol consumption by using seven statements from previous literature [14,15,16,32], asking consumers to express their agreement on a five-point scale (ranging from 1 = strongly disagree, to 5 = strongly agree). The internal reliability of these items was assessed through Cronbach’s alpha (α = 0.82).…”

“…The internal reliability of these items was assessed through Cronbach’s alpha (α = 0.82). Furthermore, knowledge of alcohol content of different beverages and legal limits to drink and drive was tested by using two additional multiple-choice questions;The third section aimed to analyse attitudes towards information and health warnings on alcoholic beverages, using questions and statements from previous research (e.g., [30,32]). General attention and visibility of information on labels were tested with reference to specific information that may be currently (voluntarily) reported on alcoholic beverage labels: number of drinks not to exceed; drinking responsibly; and a warning related to drinking and driving (Table 1).…”

“…The second section analysed awareness of health and social risks related to alcohol consumption by using seven statements from previous literature [14,15,16,32], asking consumers to express their agreement on a five-point scale (ranging from 1 = strongly disagree, to 5 = strongly agree). The internal reliability of these items was assessed through Cronbach’s alpha (α = 0.82).…”

Awareness and correlates of short‐term and long‐term consequences of alcohol use among Australian drinkers

“…While there has been research examining the impact of alcohol warning labels on drinking intentions and behaviour, 18 and on the awareness of warning labels, 19 little is known regarding the impact of warning labels on increasing the knowledge of consequences of alcohol use. Recently, an online survey of 1,600 Australian adults demonstrated that the use of cancer warning statements on alcohol products could potentially increase the awareness of the link between alcohol use and cancer 20 …”

“…Recently, an online survey of 1,600 Australian adults demonstrated that the use of cancer warning statements on alcohol products could potentially increase the awareness of the link between alcohol use and cancer. 20 The current study aimed to extend the limited literature on consumer knowledge of alcohol as a risk factor for adverse social and health outcomes by investigating awareness of a number of short-and long-term consequences of alcohol use among Australian adult drinkers. It also explored demographic correlates, including recognition of alcohol warning labels, of awareness of the consequences of alcohol use.…”