A Default Option for Health: Improving Nutrition Within the Financial and Geographic Constraints of Food Insecurity

NCT ID: NCT04186533

Last Updated: 2019-12-04

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

38 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2018-02-09

Study Completion Date

2018-06-06

Brief Summary

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Food insecurity is associated with an increased risk of obesity. The availability of a default option (i.e., option a consumer selects if no active choice is made) has been shown to effectively nudge consumer behavior. An online default option (i.e., prefilled grocery shopping cart) was previously shown to positively impact the food purchases of individuals with food insecurity.The present study aims to extend these findings bye examining efficacy of an online default option in enhancing the nutritional quality of online grocery purchases in individuals with food insecurity over the course of a month.

Detailed Description

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Food insecurity is associated with an increased risk of obesity and weight-related illnesses. The present study is the first longitudinal randomized control trial to examine if an online prefilled grocery shopping cart (i.e., a default cart) nudges individuals with food insecurity to purchase healthier groceries compared to receiving nutrition education.

It was hypothesized that the prefilled online grocery shopping cart (i.e., default condition) will result in a significant improvement in the nutritional quality of groceries purchased compared to those receiving nutrition education.

Thirty-eight food pantry users recruited from food pantries in New York in 2018 were enrolled in the present study and were given $48.50 to purchase groceries weekly using an online grocery website for five weeks. At baseline, participants were instructed to purchase groceries keeping in mind nutrition, cost, and taste. For the subsequent four weeks (T1-T4), participants were randomized to receive 1) nutrition education or 2) a prefilled online grocery shopping cart that met their nutritional needs based on age and sex (Default).

Our primary nutritional outcomes included HEI scores, calories (kcal), and energy density (kcal/grams).

Conditions

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Food Selection Obesity

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Participants
Single (Participant)

Study Groups

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Default Intervention

Participants in the default condition were presented with a pre-filled online shopping cart containing a combination of groceries that meet macro- and micronutrient requirements for their gender and age, and told that they are free to delete, add, and exchange any item they wish to finalize their selections.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Default Option

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The default option is a behavioral economics construct that refers to the option a consumer selects if no active choice is made (e.g. opt-out 401K plans, which significantly increase enrollment, compared to active sign up). Participants in the default condition were presented with a prefilled online shopping cart containing groceries that met nutritional requirements based on participants' gender and age.

Nutrition Education

Participants in the nutrition education condition were instructed to read brief nutrition education handouts before online grocery shopping.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Nutrition Education

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The nutrition education materials were adapted from materials currently utilized by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Education Program

Interventions

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Default Option

The default option is a behavioral economics construct that refers to the option a consumer selects if no active choice is made (e.g. opt-out 401K plans, which significantly increase enrollment, compared to active sign up). Participants in the default condition were presented with a prefilled online shopping cart containing groceries that met nutritional requirements based on participants' gender and age.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Nutrition Education

The nutrition education materials were adapted from materials currently utilized by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Education Program

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

1. At least 18 years old
2. Residing in a single person household
3. Receiving assistance at a food pantry
4. Able to read and write in English
5. Able to provide informed consent
6. Current residence in a zip code served by Price Chopper's delivery program
7. None of the following dietary restrictions: Vegetarian/vegan, Gluten-free/celiacs, Lactose intolerance, egg allergy
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

FED

Sponsor Role collaborator

University at Albany

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Julia Hormes

Associate Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Julia M Hormes, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University at Albany

Locations

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University at Albany, SUNY

Albany, New York, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

References

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Coffino JA, Han GT, Evans EW, Luba R, Hormes JM. A Default Option to Improve Nutrition for Adults With Low Income Using a Prefilled Online Grocery Shopping Cart. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2021 Sep;53(9):759-769. doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2021.06.011.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 34509276 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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17-E-224-01

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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