Healthy Food Subsidy Project in Chile

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

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

30 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2024-05-15

Study Completion Date

2024-10-30

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

Feasibility Study

Objective:

The objective of this feasibility study is to develop and evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a healthy food subsidy program within the Chilean context. The program, called Healthy Wallet, is a smartphone app-based initiative aimed at incentivizing low-income families to purchase fruits and vegetables at open markets. The findings from this study are intended to inform and potentially accelerate the implementation of similar policies in other countries.

Methods:

This study assessed the feasibility of implementing the Healthy Wallet subsidy program, designed to promote healthy eating habits among low-income families. The program incentivized the purchase of fruits and vegetables at local ferias (open markets) and was delivered through a smartphone application. The research adopted a community-based approach, leveraging existing social support systems to identify eligible beneficiaries and streamline the distribution of benefits. Open markets served as redemption sites for the subsidies.

The study engaged 30 families and 8 vendors in an 8-week pilot program conducted from June to August 2024. Data collection included pre- and post-implementation surveys, as well as focus group discussions: three with participating families and one with vendors. These methods aimed to evaluate the app's effectiveness, user experience, and overall feasibility of the program. Insights from the study will guide recommendations for scaling the initiative to a national level and beyond.

Related Clinical Trials

Explore similar clinical trials based on study characteristics and research focus.

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Purchasing Behavior

NCT01853514

Low-income Population

COMPLETED

CHW Intervention to Improve Nutrition Security of Patients With Hypertension

NCT06358417

Hypertension Nutrition, Healthy Food Insecurity +1 more

ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING NA

Evaluating an Enhanced Home-delivered Meal Program on Older Adults' Health and Well-being

NCT06401694

Diet, Healthy Food Insecurity Loneliness +1 more

ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION NA

A Community-based Participatory Research (CBPR) Intervention for Childhood Asthma Using Air Filters and Air Conditioners

NCT00839046

Childhood Asthma

COMPLETED NA

The UnProcessed Pantry Project (UP3)

NCT04241133

Diet, Healthy Diet Habit Disease, Chronic +2 more

COMPLETED NA

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Study Design:

This study employed an eight-week feasibility approach (Healthy Wallet) utilizing a mixed-methods assessment. The quantitative component consisted of a pre-post single-arm study, while the qualitative component involved focus group discussions with both vendors and participants.

Intervention:

The Healthy Wallet program is a mobile-based initiative aimed at promoting healthy eating habits among low-income families by incentivizing the purchase of fruits and vegetables at open markets. The program provides a monthly electronic transfer of 16,000 CLP (approximately 17 USD) for each eligible household member, including children under 18, students under 25, and individuals with disabilities. The primary food purchaser in each household receives the transfer, which is exclusively redeemable at registered stalls in the open market.

To ensure seamless transactions, registered vendors display a distinctive Healthy Wallet identification sign with a unique code. Beneficiaries use the mobile application to view available funds and complete purchases by entering the vendor's stall code. A separate vendor application tracks sales and maintains transaction records for efficient invoicing.

Sample:

The program engaged 30 families, who received monthly benefits for two consecutive months to use at 6 participating stalls within the Juan Pinto Durán open market.

Eligibility Criteria:

Eligibility aligned with Chile's existing social protection framework, leveraging the Emergency Family Wallet government subsidy established to address rising food prices during the COVID-19 pandemic. Households that participated in the Emergency Family Wallet program (2023-2024) were eligible.

The designated household representative, responsible for receiving and managing the benefit, had to meet the following criteria:

Be at least 18 years old (legal age). Be a parent or guardian of a child aged 0-5 years. Be responsible for household grocery purchases. Vendors operating at the Juan Pinto Durán open market were excluded from household eligibility.

Subsidy Delivery Platform:

A private mobile application, originally developed for university food benefits, was adapted for this pilot program. A private company managed the entire process, including loading benefits into participants' accounts, facilitating their use at the Juan Pinto Durán open market, and ensuring payment to vendors. This company provided its services pro bono, offering technical expertise and logistical support at no cost.

Ethical Considerations:

The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. The protocol and informed consent forms were approved by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Feasibility Studies Food Security

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

NA

Intervention Model

SINGLE_GROUP

The Healthy Wallet program is a mobile-based initiative designed to promote healthy eating among low-income families by incentivizing the purchase of fruits and vegetables at open markets. Over the course of two months, 30 families received monthly benefits redeemable at participating stalls within the Juan Pinto Durán open market in Santiago, Chile. Registered vendors prominently displayed a distinctive Healthy Wallet identification sign with a unique code, ensuring easy identification. Beneficiaries used the mobile app to check their available funds and complete purchases by entering the stall code. Meanwhile, vendors utilized their own app to track sales and maintain transaction records, streamlining the invoicing process.

Primary Study Purpose

OTHER

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Healthy Wallet

Each eligible household receives a monthly electronic transfer of 16,000 CLP (approximately USD 17) per eligible member to purchase fruits and vegetables from authorized vendors at the Juan Pinto Durán open market. A dedicated mobile application manages the process by crediting the benefit to participants' accounts, simplifying its use at the market, and ensuring seamless payment to vendors.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Healthy Wallet

Intervention Type OTHER

The Healthy Wallet program is a mobile-based initiative designed to promote healthy eating among low-income families by incentivizing the purchase of fruits and vegetables at open markets. Over a two-month period, 30 families received monthly benefits to use at a designated open market.

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Healthy Wallet

The Healthy Wallet program is a mobile-based initiative designed to promote healthy eating among low-income families by incentivizing the purchase of fruits and vegetables at open markets. Over a two-month period, 30 families received monthly benefits to use at a designated open market.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

Households that are beneficiaries of the Bolsillo Familiar Electrónico program in 2023-2024 and have children under 5 years of age.

Availability to shop at the local open-air market (feria libre).