Behavioral Economic Interventions at Food Pantries

Food Selection Clinical Trial

Official title:

An Analysis of Behavioral Economic Interventions at Client-Choice Food Pantries

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Enrolling by invitation

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT02403882
• Other study ID #: AuburnU
• Status: Enrolling by invitation
• Phase: N/A
• First received: March 18, 2015
• Last updated: April 23, 2016
• Start date: October 2014
• Est. completion date: June 2017

Study information

• Verified date: April 2016
• Source: Auburn University
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: United States: Institutional Review Board
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The investigators run a series of behavioral economic interventions at client-choice food pantries to encourage clients to choose targeted foods.

Description:

The study includes simple interventions at food pantries in New York State. In the initial phase, the investigators are testing the effect of order, packaging, pricing products, and relative proportion of products at a food pantry.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Enrolling by invitation
• Enrollment: 443
• Est. completion date: June 2017
• Est. primary completion date: June 2017
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: Both
• Age group: 19 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Client in food pantry

Exclusion Criteria:

• Minors

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Single Blind (Subject), Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Food Selection

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Order
In the order intervention, the investigators place the targeted product at the front of the line for the treatment. For the control, the investigators place the targeted product at the end of the line.
• Packaging
In the packaging intervention, the investigator present the targeted product in the original package. In the control, the investigator repackage the targeted product in clear, plastic bags.
• Pricing
In the pricing intervention, the investigators price all or targeted products in the treatment. In the control, the investigators do not price the products.
• Relative Proportions
The investigators adjust the amount of the targeted good available relative to the other products. In the treatment, the targeted good is a larger proportion of the total goods offered in the section, while in the control the shares of the targeted and other goods are equal.
• Default Option
In an early site, the investigators offer a targeted product without an alternative. The subjects can accept or reject the offer. The subjects are told that an alternative product is available later. At the site where the alternative product is available, investigators offer subjects the opportunity to exchanged the targeted product for the alternative product.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
n/a

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Auburn University	Cornell University

References & Publications (4)

Hanks AS, Just DR, Wansink B. Smarter lunchrooms can address new school lunchroom guidelines and childhood obesity. J Pediatr. 2013 Apr;162(4):867-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2012.12.031. Epub 2013 Feb 22. — View Citation

Wansink B, Just DR, Hanks AS, Smith LE. Pre-sliced fruit in school cafeterias: children's selection and intake. Am J Prev Med. 2013 May;44(5):477-80. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2013.02.003. — View Citation

Wansink B, Just DR, Payne CR, Klinger MZ. Attractive names sustain increased vegetable intake in schools. Prev Med. 2012 Oct;55(4):330-2. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2012.07.012. Epub 2012 Jul 27. — View Citation

Wansink B, Just DR, Payne CR. Can branding improve school lunches? Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2012 Oct;166(10):967-8. — View Citation

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Number of Targeted Products Selected Relative to Others	As subjects choose products from sections of the food pantry, the investigators observe the selection of the targeted product among the other products available. If the targeted product is selected the investigators denote it with a one and zero otherwise. The investigators average the outcome over five and 10 subjects. The investigators also use probit and logistic models to estimate the probability of uptake.	up to 8 months	No