Public acceptability of government interventions to reduce obesity: policy effectiveness, policy fairness, government trust and political ideology

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Frequent consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) has been linked to a greater risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, dental caries and coronary heart disease. SSBs are an ideal target for public health intervention to help control the type 2 diabetes mellitus epidemics since they have absolutely no nutritional value, and do not protect against disease. However, successful implementation of policies to reduce consumption of SSBs depends on public acceptability and support. Therefore, determining the public acceptability of government interventions to reduce sugar-sweetened beverages is critical for effectiveness as well as implementation. The aim of the present study was to conduct an empirical investigation of how different policy-related factors (namely perceived policy effectiveness, perceived policy fairness, policy trust and political ideology) link to public support. Policy options included low, medium and high intensity versions of: imposing a tax (10%, 20% and 30%); adding a warning label (with and without graphic warning label); reducing number of SSB retail outlets (schools only and all public institutions); and regulating SSB advertising (ban advertising aimed at children and ban all SSB advertising). Data were collected from a representative sample of 948 consumers (age range from 18 to 69) through an online survey, which was carried out in February 2019. Sample quotas were set for age, gender and income. The partial least squares approach of the structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) is employed to investigate direct effects of the proposed factors on public acceptance. Importantly, the results indicate that perceived fairness and perceived effectiveness of the political interventions had a significantly positive correlation with public acceptance (β = 0.518, p-value &lt; 0.001 and β = 0.299, p-value &lt; 0.001, respectively). Meanwhile, those who have a greater trust in government are more likely to support (β = 0.049, p-value &lt; 0.05). Also, public acceptance is positively associated with liberal policy strains. This is in line with social cognitive motives such as openness to new experiences and desire for equality in society. Moreover, higher trust in government is positively associated with perceived fairness as well as perceived effectiveness. These findings reflect that those who trust government believe that the government policy is fair in terms of the policy itself, how it is established as well as its specific distributive effects. Therefore, participatory policymaking that involves the public in the decision-making process can enhance citizens’ trust and overall acceptance in policy interventions with regard to SSBs.</jats:p>

Public perception of the tax on sweetened beverages in France

“…When comparing with the 2015 French study, we observed a slight increase in the proportion of the population who perceived the measure as useful (57•7 % in 2015 v. 60•2 % in 2021) and an important decrease in the proportion of the population who qualified the tax as unfair (49•3 % in 2015 v. 34•4 % in 2021). Perceived effectiveness and perceived fairness have been found to be positively associated with public acceptance (31) . The 2018 revision of the tax appeared to be an opportunity for the government to reframe the policy as a public health measure, and these changes may have further led to an increase in acceptance (32) .…”

When and Why Do People Accept Public-Policy Interventions? An Integrative Public-Policy-Acceptance Framework

“…To whom people attribute control and responsibility for a certain event also depends on individual factors like political orientation. There is substantial empirical evidence across various decision-making contexts that political orientation needs attention in determining public-policy support (e.g., Gunarathne et al, 2020; Milner et al, 2019; Ramos et al, 2020; Yun et al, 2019). For instance, in a series of studies on the support for environmentally friendly airports, Milner et al (2019) found conservatives to be less supportive than liberals.…”

Research on the Spatial and Temporal Differences in Public Response to Release-Type Communication to Stop Food Waste

“…Teoh et al [22] predicted food waste prevention behavior by analyzing the impact of social media use on consumers' attitudes towards food waste. Gunarathne et al [23] also believe that the key to the successful implementation of intervention policies to reduce sugar drinks lies in public acceptance and support. Jabeen et al [24] used the theory of interpersonal behavior to explore the relationship between emotion and attitude and the individual's behavioral intention to reduce food waste.…”