Fruits and Vegetables Incentives Study

NCT ID: NCT04235413

Last Updated: 2023-01-12

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 244 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2020-01-15
• Study Completion Date: 2022-11-30

Brief Summary

The goal of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of financial incentives delivered in real-time at point of purchase, on low-income consumers' purchase of fruits and vegetables, fruits and vegetables consumption, diet quality, and weight/BMI. The study will test real-time incentives compared to a no-incentive control condition.

Detailed Description

To address diet quality disparities in low-income families, policy makers and health experts recommend strategies such as financial incentives to promote consumption of fruits and vegetables. Real-time incentives for purchasing fruits and vegetables are promising strategies to improve families' diets and health.

The aims of the study are:

1. To test the effects of financial incentives, delivered in real-time at the point of purchase, on low-income consumer purchases of fruits and vegetables

2. To evaluate the impact of real-time financial incentives compared to a control condition on FV consumption among adults and their children ,shopping habits, home food environments, diet quality, and weight/BMI

3. To adapt mobile platform technology to provide regular feedback to participants to motivate use of the incentive program to increase purchases and consumption of fruits and vegetables

4. To evaluate participant satisfaction with real-time healthy food choice incentives technology in both SNAP participants and income-eligible non-SNAP participants

5. To assess the acceptability and ease of use of real-time healthy food choice incentives technology among retails supermarket managers and staff in low-income neighborhoods.

Conditions

Obesity; Fruit and Vegetable Intake; Healthy Diet

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: OTHER
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Real-Time Incentives Group

Each participant will be randomized using a blocking procedure (SNAP participant or not). The intervention will last 6 months and consist of receiving real-time financial incentives at the point of purchase for eligible fruits and vegetables purchases.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Real-Time Incentives Group

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

The use of a novel computer program with a mobile phone interface to provide real-time financial incentives at the point of purchase for discounts on fruit and vegetables in low-income families. This intervention will be applied to subjects randomized to the intervention arm. They will receive 50% off eligible fruits and vegetable products at the point of purchase, up to $10 a week for 6 months. Maximum amount they can receive is $260 in discounts over the 6 month period.

Control Group

No intervention administered. Each participant will be randomized using a blocking procedure (SNAP participant or not).

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Real-Time Incentives Group

The use of a novel computer program with a mobile phone interface to provide real-time financial incentives at the point of purchase for discounts on fruit and vegetables in low-income families. This intervention will be applied to subjects randomized to the intervention arm. They will receive 50% off eligible fruits and vegetable products at the point of purchase, up to $10 a week for 6 months. Maximum amount they can receive is $260 in discounts over the 6 month period.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• 18 years of age or older
• Speak English
• Do most of their food shopping at a participating supermarket
• Receive or are eligible to receive SNAP benefits
• Have a child in the household between the ages of 2-17
• Have a working smartphone
• Be the main household shopper

Exclusion Criteria

• Participants will be excluded if the primary shopper and/or any children in the family have major medical or dental conditions that would prevent them from eating fruits and vegetables, or if they have a serious neurological disorder, dementia, or psychiatric condition that interferes with understanding study procedures

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

University of Pennsylvania

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Karen Glanz, PhD, MPH

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Pennsylvania

Locations

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Countries

United States

Other Identifiers

833359

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id