Trial Outcomes & Findings for A Trial of Behavioral Economic Interventions Among Food Pantry Clients (NCT NCT04011384)

Last Updated: 2024-02-29

Results Overview

Average monthly change from baseline across 3 months of participation, in number of units of healthier foods (labeled with a green traffic light) purchased per shopping trip using the food pantry's definition of a unit.

Recruitment status

COMPLETED

Study phase

Target enrollment

286 participants

Primary outcome timeframe

Collected from the online system at baseline and then each month for the remaining 3 months of participation.

Results posted on

2024-02-29

Participant Flow

Participants were clients at a food pantry and were recruited either in-person at the pantry or by phone (after March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic). Recruitment ran from July 2019 to September 2022. 70% of participants were recruited before the pandemic.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we lost 47 participants who were consented (before March 2020), but had not yet completed their baseline appointment. 3 others were accidentally enrolled, but did not meet our enrollment criteria and were excluded before baseline. Finally 1 was excluded because they were not randomized to a condition.

Participant milestones

Participant milestones
Measure	Control Group Participants in this arm will view the typical web-based ordering system platform (usual care 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. 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.
Overall Study STARTED	111	124
Overall Study COMPLETED	109	124
Overall Study NOT COMPLETED	2	0

Reasons for withdrawal

Reasons for withdrawal
Measure	Control Group Participants in this arm will view the typical web-based ordering system platform (usual care 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. 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.
Overall Study Withdrawal by Subject	2	0

Baseline Characteristics

A Trial of Behavioral Economic Interventions Among Food Pantry Clients

Baseline characteristics by cohort

Baseline characteristics by cohort
Measure	Control Group n=109 Participants Participants in this arm will view the typical web-based ordering system platform (usual care group).	Behavioral Economic Intervention Group n=124 Participants 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. 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.	Total n=233 Participants Total of all reporting groups
Age, Continuous	66 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 12 • n=5 Participants	66 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 15 • n=7 Participants	66 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 14 • n=5 Participants
Sex: Female, Male Female	65 Participants n=5 Participants	91 Participants n=7 Participants	156 Participants n=5 Participants
Sex: Female, Male Male	44 Participants n=5 Participants	33 Participants n=7 Participants	77 Participants n=5 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB) Hispanic or Latino	3 Participants n=5 Participants	3 Participants n=7 Participants	6 Participants n=5 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB) Not Hispanic or Latino	105 Participants n=5 Participants	121 Participants n=7 Participants	226 Participants n=5 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB) Unknown or Not Reported	1 Participants n=5 Participants	0 Participants n=7 Participants	1 Participants n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB) American Indian or Alaska Native	0 Participants n=5 Participants	1 Participants n=7 Participants	1 Participants n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB) Asian	6 Participants n=5 Participants	7 Participants n=7 Participants	13 Participants n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	0 Participants n=5 Participants	0 Participants n=7 Participants	0 Participants n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB) Black or African American	8 Participants n=5 Participants	5 Participants n=7 Participants	13 Participants n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB) White	88 Participants n=5 Participants	109 Participants n=7 Participants	197 Participants n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB) More than one race	3 Participants n=5 Participants	2 Participants n=7 Participants	5 Participants n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB) Unknown or Not Reported	4 Participants n=5 Participants	0 Participants n=7 Participants	4 Participants n=5 Participants
Language English	50 Participants n=5 Participants	55 Participants n=7 Participants	105 Participants n=5 Participants
Language Russian	56 Participants n=5 Participants	66 Participants n=7 Participants	122 Participants n=5 Participants
Language Other language	3 Participants n=5 Participants	3 Participants n=7 Participants	6 Participants n=5 Participants
Education Less than high school	5 Participants n=5 Participants	6 Participants n=7 Participants	11 Participants n=5 Participants
Education High school degree or equivalent	30 Participants n=5 Participants	29 Participants n=7 Participants	59 Participants n=5 Participants
Education Some college or associates	24 Participants n=5 Participants	33 Participants n=7 Participants	57 Participants n=5 Participants
Education College or above	49 Participants n=5 Participants	53 Participants n=7 Participants	102 Participants n=5 Participants
Education Unknown	1 Participants n=5 Participants	3 Participants n=7 Participants	4 Participants n=5 Participants
Children at home No children at home	87 Participants n=5 Participants	105 Participants n=7 Participants	192 Participants n=5 Participants
Children at home 1 or more children at home	19 Participants n=5 Participants	17 Participants n=7 Participants	36 Participants n=5 Participants
Children at home Unknown	3 Participants n=5 Participants	2 Participants n=7 Participants	5 Participants n=5 Participants

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: Collected from the online system at baseline and then each month for the remaining 3 months of participation.

Population: Some participants were missing order data -- especially near March 2020 at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure	Behavioral Economic Intervention Group n=107 Participants 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. 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.	Control Group n=99 Participants Participants in this arm will view the typical web-based ordering system platform (usual care group).
Mean Monthly Change in Number of Units of Healthier Foods	0.53 units of healthy food Standard Deviation 5.54	-1.32 units of healthy food Standard Deviation 7.77

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: Collected from the online system at baseline and then each month for the remaining 3 months of participation.

Population: Some participants were missing order data -- especially near March 2020 at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Average monthly change from baseline across 3 months of participation, in number of units of less healthy foods (labeled with a red or yellow traffic light) purchased per shopping trip using the food pantry's definition of a unit.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure	Behavioral Economic Intervention Group n=107 Participants 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. 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.	Control Group n=99 Participants Participants in this arm will view the typical web-based ordering system platform (usual care group).
Mean Monthly Change in Number of Units of Less Healthy Foods	-0.04 units of less healthy food Standard Deviation 2.68	0.20 units of less healthy food Standard Deviation 3.67

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: Collected from the online system at baseline and then each month for the remaining 3 months of participation.

Population: Some participants were missing order data -- especially near March 2020 at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Average monthly change from baseline across 3 months of participation, in number of calories from healthier foods per shopping trip.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure	Behavioral Economic Intervention Group n=107 Participants 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. 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.	Control Group n=99 Participants Participants in this arm will view the typical web-based ordering system platform (usual care group).
Mean Monthly Change in Calories From Healthier Foods Per Shopping Trip	31 calories from healthy food Standard Deviation 581	-124 calories from healthy food Standard Deviation 694

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: Collected from the online system at baseline and then each month for the remaining 3 months of participation.

Population: Some participants were missing order data -- especially near March 2020 at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Average monthly change from baseline across 3 months of participation, in number of calories from less healthy foods per shopping trip.