Multi-level supermarket discounts of fruits and vegetables on intake and health

 描述（由申请人提供）：水果和蔬菜（F&V）的相对价格很高，使购买这些健康食品成为许多购物者的经济困难。最近提出了政府补贴以及公共部门和私营部门的倡议，以鼓励购买F&V。然而，如果不首先通过实验评估降价对消费者需求、消费和利润的影响，就很难确定合理和适当的F&V定价。本研究主要探讨了50%、25%和12.5%的折扣对超重和肥胖（25 < BMI ≤ 40）购物者在曼哈顿连锁超市的6家商店购买F&V的主要和持续影响。招募将为400名购物者从这些商店内获得估计300完成者。在4周的基线期（无折扣）后，参与者将被随机分配在32周的干预期内获得50%，25%，12.5%或0%的折扣，并进行16周的随访期（无折扣）。折扣将在4周后通过参与者的忠诚度扫描卡自动激活，该卡还将跟踪所有购买。主要目的是衡量干预期间四个折扣水平对F&V购买和消费的影响以及干预期结束时的健康结果。此外，主要目的是衡量随访期间折扣对这些结局的持续影响。预计F&V折扣越大，F&V购买和消费的增加越大，特别是对于那些收入相对较低的人。这些F&V购买和消费的增加预计将导致健康结果的改善，例如体重和脂肪的减少以及心脏代谢风险因素的减少。针对所有折扣水平，绘制F&V采购和消费的需求曲线，以帮助选择最佳折扣水平。研究结果应有助于政府决策者了解为促进健康食品选择而考虑的适当补贴。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The relative price of fruits and vegetables (F&V) is high, making purchasing of these healthy foods an economic hardship for many shoppers. Government subsidies coupled with public-sector and private-sector initiatives to incentivize the purchasing of F&V have recently been proposed. It would be difficult, however, to determine a reasonable and appropriate pricing of F&V, without first experimentally assessing the impact of price reduction on consumer demand, consumption, and profitability. The proposed study examines the main and sustained effects of 50%, 25%, and 12.5% discounts, versus 0% discount, on purchasing of F&V by overweight and obese (25 < BMI ≤ 40) shoppers in six stores of a Manhattan supermarket chain. Recruitment will be for 400 shoppers from within these stores to obtain an estimated 300 completers. After a 4-week baseline period (no discounts), participants will be randomly assigned to receive a 50%, 25%, 12.5%, or 0% discount during a 32-week intervention period, with a 16-week follow-up period (no discounts). The discounts will be automatically activated after 4 weeks through the participant's loyalty scan card, which will also track all purchases. The primary aims are to measure the effects of the four discount levels on purchasing and consumption of F&V during the intervention period and the health outcomes at the end of the intervention period. Additionally, a primary aim is to measure the sustained effects of the discounts on these outcomes during the follow-up period. It is expected that the larger the discount on F&V, the greater the increase in purchasing and consumption of F&V, especially for those with relatively low incomes. These increases in F&V purchasing and consumption are expected to lead to improved health outcomes, such as weight and fat loss as well as reduced cardio metabolic risk factors. Demand curves for purchasing and consumption of F&V will be drawn for all the discount levels to help select optimal discount levels. The study findings should help to inform government policymakers on the appropriate subsidies to consider for promoting healthy food choices.