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NCT Number: NCT05597969

The Effect of an Application-based Health Intervention (FoodCoach) on Food Purchases in Switzerland

The FoodCoach study is a 9-week randomized controlled trial from the University of St.Gallen and the University Hospital of Bern, supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation #188402 and by Sanitas Management AG. Sanitas Management AG supports the recruiting of study participants without interfering with the study content.

FoodCoach aims to investigate the effectiveness of improving people's food shopping healthiness by providing automated food shopping recommendations. The results of the study could possibly help improve the health status of the Swiss population and beyond in a low-cost and automated manner.

The investigators collect participant grocery data via the loyalty card programs "Migros Cumulus" and "Coop Supercard" after obtaining participants' informed consent. From this data, the investigators generate automated recommendations that are based on the Nutri-Score framework and expertise of dieticians at the University Hospital of Bern. After sign-up, participants are randomized into a treatment and a control group. The treatment group receives automated recommendations via the FoodCoach Web Application, while the control group only receives a report about their food shopping by email after the intervention phase. Both groups need to finish the same onboarding survey where the investigators collect basic demographic information. After the intervention, the treatment group will receive a post-study survey containing two parts via email. Part 1 includes questions about the ease of use, interface and satisfaction and usefulness of the FoodCoach app. Part 2 includes questions about the participants' weight and height, the motivation to shop healthily and sustainably. The control group will receive a post-study survey which only contains part 2 as described before via email.

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Key information

Conditions

Adult

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of St. Gallen

Sankt Gallen, Canton of St. Gallen, 9000, Switzerland

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Participants need to be at least 18 years old by the time they join the study.
  • Participants need to participate in at least one of the two loyalty card programmes, i.e., Migros Cumulus and/or Coop Supercard.
  • Participants need to be German- and/or English-speaking, as the FoodCoach application is in German and English.

Exclusion criteria

  • Younger than 18 years old by the time the participants join the study.
  • Do not participate in at least one of the two loyalty card programmes, i.e., Migros Cumulus and/or Coop Supercard.
  • Not German- and/or English-speaking, so that the participants cannot understand the content of the app.

Treatment and study plan

FoodCoach

Behavioral

The FoodCoach app displays transparent analysis and recommendations regarding participant's food purchases recorded on their loyalty cards. It tries to help participants understand why and how they should/can shop more healthily, motivating them to change their unhealthy food purchase behavior.

Primary outcomes

  1. Body mass index change

    Time frame: Baseline, 9 weeks

    Survey data. Note that the post-study survey is "voluntary" because the investigators cannot force participants to finish it.

  2. Food purchase behavior - overall food shopping healthiness change

    Time frame: Baseline, 9 weeks

    The overall food shopping healthiness as indicated by Food Standards Agency Nutrient Profiling System Dietary Index

  3. Food purchase behavior - fruit purchase change

    Time frame: Baseline, 9 weeks

    Loyalty card data

  4. Food purchase behavior - vegetable purchase change

    Time frame: Baseline, 9 weeks

    Loyalty card data

  5. Food purchase behavior - protein food purchase change

    Time frame: Baseline, 9 weeks

    Loyalty card data

  6. Food purchase behavior - processed food purchase change

    Time frame: Baseline, 9 weeks

    Loyalty card data

  7. Food purchase behavior - beverage purchase change

    Time frame: Baseline, 9 weeks

    Loyalty card data

  8. Food purchase behavior - oils, fats, sauces, nuts and seeds purchase change

    Time frame: Baseline, 9 weeks

    Loyalty card data

  9. Food purchase behavior - grains, potatoes and legumes purchase change

    Time frame: Baseline, 9 weeks

    Loyalty card data

Secondary outcomes

  1. Food purchase behavior - energy purchase change

    Time frame: Baseline, 9weeks

    Loyalty card data

  2. Food purchase behavior - sugar purchase change

    Time frame: Baseline, 9weeks

    Loyalty card data

  3. Food purchase behavior - saturated fatty acids purchase change

    Time frame: Baseline, 9weeks

    Loyalty card data

  4. Food purchase behavior - sodium purchase change

    Time frame: Baseline, 9weeks

    Loyalty card data

  5. Food purchase behavior - fiber purchase change

    Time frame: Baseline, 9weeks

    Loyalty card data

  6. Food purchase behavior - protein purchase change

    Time frame: Baseline, 9weeks

    Loyalty card data

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of St.Gallen

Other

Collaborators

  • Sanitas Management AG
  • Swiss National Science Foundation
  • University of Bern

Registry information

Official study title

The Effect of an Application-based Health Intervention (FoodCoach) on Food Purchases in Switzerland: Randomized Controlled Trial

Important dates

Study start
2022
Primary completion
2023
Study completion
2023
First posted
Oct 28, 2022
Registry last updated
Nov 29, 2023

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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