NCT03340363

"Make It Fresh, For Less" Supermarket Pilot Study

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 401 (actual)
• Sponsor: Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of environmental modifications (choice architecture and a marketing campaign) in combination with weekly text messages on purchases of foods made by parents shopping in a large supermarket.

Detailed description

The "Make It Fresh, For Less" Supermarket Pilot Study is a supermarket-based intervention developed by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in collaboration with the nonprofit organization ChopChop Magazine (chopchopmagazine.org) and a large Northeastern supermarket chain. A promotional campaign advertising low-cost, kid-friendly meals was piloted in one store selected by the supermarket partner, with promotions rotating every 4 weeks during a 16-week intervention period. Parent shoppers were recruited (n=401) at the store and given a study loyalty card to track their transactions. At the start of the intervention, half of the participants were additionally randomized to receive weekly behavioral messages via text message or email. Supermarket purchases were assessed at baseline, during the 16-week intervention, and up to 6-weeks post-intervention. Primary Aim 1: to examine the impact of a choice architecture intervention in combination with a promotional campaign on food purchases of parents shopping in a large supermarket. It is hypothesized that there will be an increase in selection of foods targeted by the promotional campaign when physical modifications are made. Primary Aim 2: to examine the impact of weekly behavioral messages in combination with an environmental change intervention on food purchases of parents shopping in a large supermarket. It is hypothesized that there will be a greater increase in selection of foods targeted by the promotional campaign among participants receiving the messages compared to participants exposed to the environmental change intervention alone.

Conditions

• Food Habits
• Consumer Behavior

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	environmental change	1. Offer kid-friendly, low-cost recipes in a prominent, high-traffic location. 2. Offer healthy default ingredients (bundled ingredients promoted with recipes). 3. Promote recipe ingredients with prominently displayed signage and images. 4. Promote recipes in multiple locations throughout the store.
BEHAVIORAL	messaging	Short, behavioral messages sent to participants via text message or email each week to promote the in-store environmental changes

Timeline

• Start date: 2015-10-08
• Primary completion: 2017-01-01
• Completion: 2017-01-01
• First posted: 2017-11-13
• Last updated: 2017-11-13