A Trial of Behavioral Economic Interventions Among Food Pantry Clients

Study Results

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Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

286 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2019-07-05

Study Completion Date

2022-12-21

Brief Summary

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Obesity, unhealthy dietary habits, and food insecurity are major public health concerns, especially affecting individuals living in poverty. Food pantries, which provide free food to those in need, are increasingly interested in promoting healthy choices, but few rigorous studies have tested healthy eating interventions in food pantry settings. The overall objective of this proposal is to conduct a randomized-controlled trial among 500 regular food pantry clients to compare the influence of a behavioral economic intervention to promote healthier food choices delivered via a web-based ordering platform to usual care (control group).

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Detailed Description

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The primary objective of this proposal is to evaluate the influence of a web-based behavioral economic intervention compared to a control group on the following outcomes among food pantry clients: 1) Nutritional quality of food chosen at the pantry using food transaction data; 2) Fruit and vegetable intake measured by biomarkers and food frequency questionnaires; 3) Objectively measured biomarkers of health. The web-based behavioral economic intervention will include the following modifications to the online shopping platform: 1) Healthy food shopping cart defaults, 2) healthy placement choice architecture, 3) traffic light nutrition labels, 4) social norms messaging, and 5) healthy swaps. Food transaction data will be collected from the online system at baseline and then continuously for the remaining 3 months of the study (participants typically shop monthly). Surveys and objective biomarkers will be collected at baseline and three-months.

Conditions

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Food Preferences

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

The researchers will recruit 500 regular food pantry clients to participate in a randomized-controlled trial that involves visiting the food pantry and selecting food using the web-based ordering system, having physical measurements collected by study staff, completing food frequency questionnaires, completing a health survey, and getting a blood draw to measure fruit and vegetable intake and health outcomes from biomarkers. Participants will be randomized to 1 of 2 conditions: 1) control group (usual care); or 2) behavioral economic intervention group.

Primary Study Purpose

PREVENTION

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Investigators

The research team will create the randomization list and a research assistant will assign the participant to the correct online platform condition, but the investigators and data analysts will remain blind to group assignment. This study will contain two parallel groups. Although participants will not initially be aware of the other study condition, they will not be blinded to study condition because those in the intervention condition will be viewing the altered ordering platform as they shop.

Study Groups

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Control Group

Participants in this arm will view the typical web-based ordering system platform (usual care group).

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Behavioral Economic Intervention Group

Participants in this arm will be exposed to the web-based ordering system with multiple behavioral economic interventions applied, including healthy food shopping cart defaults, healthy placement choice architecture, traffic light nutrition labels, social norms messaging, and healthy swaps.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Behavioral economic intervention of online purchasing at a food pantry

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

This intervention includes multiple behavioral economic interventions, healthy food shopping cart defaults, healthy placement choice architecture, traffic light nutrition labels, social norms messaging, and healthy swaps.

Interventions

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Behavioral economic intervention of online purchasing at a food pantry

This intervention includes multiple behavioral economic interventions, healthy food shopping cart defaults, healthy placement choice architecture, traffic light nutrition labels, social norms messaging, and healthy swaps.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* ≥18 years old
* primary grocery shopper for the family
* a regular in-person client at the food pantry (i.e., shops at pantry ≥ 1 per month)
* able to use the web-based touchscreen ordering system
* able to use a blood pressure cuff and scale provided to them for taking blood pressure and weight
* able to come outside their home for 5 minutes for the Veggie Meter measurement

Exclusion Criteria

* \<18 years old
* not the primary grocery shopper for the family
* not a regular client at the food pantry (i.e., shops at pantry \< 1 per month)
* not able to use the web-based touchscreen ordering system
* not able to use a blood pressure cuff and scale provided to them for taking blood pressure and weight
* not able to come outside their home for 5 minutes for the Veggie Meter measurement

Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes