Glassware Design and Drinking Behaviors: A Review of Impact and Mechanisms Using a New Typology of Drinking Behaviors
Abstract
Introduction
Much of the global burden of disease is attributable to unhealthy behavior, including consumption of alcohol and sugar-sweetened beverages. Developing effective methods to change these alcohol use behaviors could inform policies to improve population health.
Method
In line with an increasing interest in environmental-level interventions – i.e., changing the environment in which a behavior occurs in order to change the behavior of interest – this review first describes the existing evidence of the impact of glassware design (including capacity and shape) on alcohol use behaviors (e.g., at the ‘micro’ level – including sip size, as well as at the macro level – including amount consumed). The roles of two sets of possible underlying mechanisms – perception and affordance – are also explored. Finally, this review sets out a provisional typology of alcohol use behaviors to enable more systematic approaches to the study of these behaviors.
Results and conclusion
While there is a paucity of evidence – in particular on measures of consumption – this growing evidence base suggests promising targets for novel interventions involving glassware design to reduce the consumption of beverages that harm health.