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OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT02461108

Nudging Nutrition With Monetary Incentives Environmental Cues

The investigators hypothesize that monetary incentives and messaging, such as making nutritious foods relatively less expensive than less nutritious foods and framing the price difference in a positive or negative way, will influence purchasing behavior of households.

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Key information

Conditions

Obesity Behavior Body Weight Diet Food Labeling Health Behavior Nutrition Disorders Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases Overnutrition Overweight Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms

Age range

18 year–70 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

New York City School District

New York, United States

About this study

In this study, 239 loyalty card shoppers were recruited at Hannaford grocery stores to participate in a study in which a 10% price difference between nutritious and less nutritious foods was introduced. and then framed as a subsidy, tax, or a combination of a tax and subsidy. To determine whether or not the framing of the price difference influenced purchasing behavior, the difference was framed as a subsidy on nutritious foods, a tax on less nutritious foods, and a combination of a tax and subsidy on less nutritious and nutritious foods, respectively. The purpose of this study was to examine the general impact of this price difference on purchases of nutritious and less nutritious foods, and whether or not the framing of the price difference had a differential effect on behavior.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Loyalty card shoppers at Hannaford grocery stores

Exclusion criteria

  • No children in household
  • Less than 75% of food purchases made at Hannaford grocery stores

Treatment and study plan

Subsidy

Behavioral

Frame the price difference as a 10% subsidy on nutritious food items.

Tax

Behavioral

Frame the price difference as a 10% tax on less nutritious food items.

Tax and subsidy

Behavioral

Frame the price difference as a 5% tax on less nutritious food items and a 5% subsidy on nutritious food items, creating a 10% relative price difference between the types of foods.

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in expenditures on nutritious and less nutritious foods

    Time frame: 8 months

    Item level transaction data were collected for each participant between mid-July 2010 and mid-March 2011. These data included expenditures on all items purchased in the store. Average weekly expenditures were generated and reported in Aug 2011.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in quantities purchased of nutritious and less nutritious foods

    Time frame: 8 months

    Item level transaction data were collected for each participant between mid-July 2010 and mid-March 2011. These data included quantities of all items purchased in the store. Average weekly quantities purchased were generated and reported in Aug 2011.

  2. Change in expenditures on nutritious and less nutritious foods in specific food categories.

    Time frame: 8 months

    Item level transaction data were collected for each participant between mid-July 2010 and mid-March 2011. These data included expenditures on all items purchased in the store, as well as the specific product type. With this information, product groupings can be created, such as for dairy, candy, and fresh produce. Average weekly expenditures for these groupings were generated and reported in July 2012.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Cornell University

Other

Collaborators

  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
  • National Institutes of Health (NIH)
  • Ohio State University

Registry information

Official study title

Nudging Nutrition: Evaluating the Impact of Monetary Incentives and Environmental Cues on Food Choices

Important dates

Study start
2010
Primary completion
2011
Study completion
2011
First posted
Jun 3, 2015
Registry last updated
Jun 3, 2015

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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