TY - JOUR
T1 - Improving shop floor compliance with age restrictions for alcohol sales: Effectiveness of a feedback letter intervention
AU - van Hoof, Joris Jasper
AU - Gosselt, Jordi Franciscus
AU - Baas, N.
AU - de Jong, Menno D.T.
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - Purpose:
In this study, we investigated the effects and handling of an intervention to increase compliance with age limits regarding alcohol sales. The intervention tested in this field experiment was a feedback letter sent to alcohol outlets about their individual compliance results based on a mystery shopping study.
Method:
We measured compliance in 146 alcohol outlets (cafeterias, supermarkets, bars, liquor stores and youth centres) in one region in the Netherlands with 15-year-old mystery shoppers. About half (n = 72) of the outlets received the intervention letter (the experimental group). After this intervention, we measured compliance again (n = 138). Then we sent the same letter to the control group and interviewed all the outlets regarding their handling of the intervention (n = 106).
Results:
After the experimental group received the letter, compliance increased significantly (from 18.1% to 32.4%). In the control group, compliance did not change. Of the outlets interviewed, 81% stated that they had received the letter, and the action most commonly taken was to bring the letter to the attention of their staff.
Conclusions:
Positive feedback letters are more often copied and shared integrally with personnel, compared with negative letters. Compliance with respect to underage alcohol sales can be improved, although compliance levels remain low in the Netherlands.
AB - Purpose:
In this study, we investigated the effects and handling of an intervention to increase compliance with age limits regarding alcohol sales. The intervention tested in this field experiment was a feedback letter sent to alcohol outlets about their individual compliance results based on a mystery shopping study.
Method:
We measured compliance in 146 alcohol outlets (cafeterias, supermarkets, bars, liquor stores and youth centres) in one region in the Netherlands with 15-year-old mystery shoppers. About half (n = 72) of the outlets received the intervention letter (the experimental group). After this intervention, we measured compliance again (n = 138). Then we sent the same letter to the control group and interviewed all the outlets regarding their handling of the intervention (n = 106).
Results:
After the experimental group received the letter, compliance increased significantly (from 18.1% to 32.4%). In the control group, compliance did not change. Of the outlets interviewed, 81% stated that they had received the letter, and the action most commonly taken was to bring the letter to the attention of their staff.
Conclusions:
Positive feedback letters are more often copied and shared integrally with personnel, compared with negative letters. Compliance with respect to underage alcohol sales can be improved, although compliance levels remain low in the Netherlands.
KW - IR-83655
KW - METIS-290181
U2 - 10.1093/eurpub/ckr162
DO - 10.1093/eurpub/ckr162
M3 - Article
VL - 22
SP - 737
EP - 742
JO - European journal of public health
JF - European journal of public health
SN - 1101-1262
IS - 5
ER -