NCT06468501

SEP and the Impact of Price on Food Selection in a Simulated Food Delivery App

Socioeconomic Position and the Effectiveness of Price Changes Based on Healthier and Less Healthy Food on Food Selection in a Simulated Out of Home Food Delivery App: a Randomised Controlled Trial

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 3,464 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Liverpool · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The goal of this randomised controlled trial is to compare taxation with subsidies to encourage healthier food choices in the out-of-home food sector. Participants will be asked to make hypothetical food choices in an online simulation study of a delivery app. Participants will be randomised into four different intervention groups: 1. Price reduction (10%) on healthier foods 2. Price increase (10%) to less healthy foods 3. A combination of price reduction to healthier foods and price increase to less healthy foods 4. Existing price structure (i.e. control group) The investigators will further examine effectiveness of these fiscal policies on healthy eating by socioeconomic position to understand whether these policies are equitable.

Conditions

• Food Selection
• Healthy Eating
• Eating Behavior

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Price reduction on healthier foods	Price reduction (10%) on healthier foods based on the UK NPM
BEHAVIORAL	Price increase to less healthy foods	Price increase (10%) on less healthy foods based on the UK NPM
BEHAVIORAL	Combination of price reduction on healthier foods and price increase on less healthy foods	Combination of price reduction (10%) on healthier foods based on the UK NPM and price increase (10%) on less healthy foods based on the UK NPM
BEHAVIORAL	Control	Existing price structure

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-07-01
• Primary completion: 2024-08-31
• Completion: 2024-08-31
• First posted: 2024-06-21
• Last updated: 2025-01-28

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United Kingdom