A Default Option for Health: Improving Nutrition Within the Financial and Geographic Constraints of Food Insecurity

Obesity Clinical Trial

Official title:

A Default Option for Health: Improving Nutrition Within the Financial and Geographic Constraints of Food Insecurity

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT04186533
• Other study ID #: 17-E-224-01
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: February 9, 2018
• Est. completion date: June 6, 2018

Study information

• Verified date: December 2019
• Source: University at Albany
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Food insecurity is associated with an increased risk of obesity. The availability of a default option (i.e., option a consumer selects if no active choice is made) has been shown to effectively nudge consumer behavior. An online default option (i.e., prefilled grocery shopping cart) was previously shown to positively impact the food purchases of individuals with food insecurity.The present study aims to extend these findings bye examining efficacy of an online default option in enhancing the nutritional quality of online grocery purchases in individuals with food insecurity over the course of a month.

Description:

Food insecurity is associated with an increased risk of obesity and weight-related illnesses. The present study is the first longitudinal randomized control trial to examine if an online prefilled grocery shopping cart (i.e., a default cart) nudges individuals with food insecurity to purchase healthier groceries compared to receiving nutrition education.

It was hypothesized that the prefilled online grocery shopping cart (i.e., default condition) will result in a significant improvement in the nutritional quality of groceries purchased compared to those receiving nutrition education.

Thirty-eight food pantry users recruited from food pantries in New York in 2018 were enrolled in the present study and were given $48.50 to purchase groceries weekly using an online grocery website for five weeks. At baseline, participants were instructed to purchase groceries keeping in mind nutrition, cost, and taste. For the subsequent four weeks (T1-T4), participants were randomized to receive 1) nutrition education or 2) a prefilled online grocery shopping cart that met their nutritional needs based on age and sex (Default).

Our primary nutritional outcomes included HEI scores, calories (kcal), and energy density (kcal/grams).

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 38
• Est. completion date: June 6, 2018
• Est. primary completion date: May 29, 2018
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

1. At least 18 years old

2. Residing in a single person household

3. Receiving assistance at a food pantry

4. Able to read and write in English

5. Able to provide informed consent

6. Current residence in a zip code served by Price Chopper's delivery program

7. None of the following dietary restrictions: Vegetarian/vegan, Gluten-free/celiacs, Lactose intolerance, egg allergy

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Food Selection
• Obesity

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Default Option
The default option is a behavioral economics construct that refers to the option a consumer selects if no active choice is made (e.g. opt-out 401K plans, which significantly increase enrollment, compared to active sign up). Participants in the default condition were presented with a prefilled online shopping cart containing groceries that met nutritional requirements based on participants' gender and age.
• Nutrition Education
The nutrition education materials were adapted from materials currently utilized by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Education Program

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	University at Albany, SUNY	Albany	New York

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University at Albany	United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Healthy Eating Index Score	(score ranging from 0-100	1 month
Primary	Calories	kcal	1 month
Primary	Energy Density	kcal/grams	1 month