Altering Shoppers' Supermarket Purchases to Fit Nutritional Guidelines: An Interactive Information System

Abstract

This study reports the results of one effort to help supermarket shoppers alter food purchases to make purchases (and meals) that are lower in fat and higher in fiber. A prototype interactive information system using instructional video programs, feedback on purchases with specific goals for change, weekly programs, and the ability to track user interactions and intended purchases was evaluated. The major dependent measure was users' actual food purchases as derived from participants' highly detailed supermarket receipts. After a 5- to 7-week baseline phase, participants were randomly assigned to an experimental or control condition for the 7- to 8-week intervention phase. A follow-up phase began 5 to 8 weeks after participants completed the intervention and discontinued use of the system. The results indicated that experimental participants, when compared to control participants, decreased high fat purchases and increased high fiber purchases during intervention, with evidence for some maintenance of effect in follow-up. Plans for increasing the use and impact of the system are discussed.

Supermarket and Grocery Store–Based Interventions to Promote Healthful Food Choices and Eating Practices: A Systematic Review

“…Six interventions used randomization; 2 of these used POP (23,59); 1 used POP and pricing (38); 2 used POP and promotion and advertising (29,49); and 1 used pricing and promotion and advertising (33). On average, randomized interventions had fewer points for effectiveness (0.7 points [range, 0–1]) than the 27 interventions that did not use randomization (1.4 points [range 0–3]) (24–28,30–32,34–37,39–46,50,52–54,56–58).…”

“…Five (32,44,52,58,59) interventions evaluated sales of targeted items; of these, 2 (32,59) influenced some shoppers to purchase targeted foods. One intervention (59) was based on social cognitive theory, and another (58) relied on the knowledge-attitude-performance model of behavioral change.…”

Nutrition interventions at point-of-sale to encourage healthier food purchasing: a systematic review

“…The activities were delivered weekly in two studies [45, 46], monthly in one study [32] and tailored at each purchase in another study [22] (Additional file 3: Table S3). Frequency of activity delivery was not reported for the other five studies [15, 21, 23, 24, 31].…”

“…There were no differences between groups for cereal, whole or 2% fat milk, beverages, or diet beverages.Milliron (strong) [21]Intervention group purchased more fruit & dark-green vegetables but there were no differences in the total fat, saturated fat or vegetable serves purchased compared to the control group.Awareness of shelf-talkers was higher in the intervention than in the control stores.Ni Mhurchi (strong) [22]There was no difference in the purchase of target foods or target nutrients between the intervention and control groups.Reger 1999 (strong) 1 [23]Purchase of healthier milk options increased from baseline to the end of the intervention and unhealthier options decreased compared to the control communities. This difference remained 6 months later.Reger 2000 (strong) [25]No difference in sales of healthier milk options as a proportion of overall milk sales between intervention and comparison communities at the end of the intervention and at 6 months follow up.Silzer (weak) [15]Intervention group reported more purchasing healthier food options.Intervention group reported more reading of labels and preparation of healthier food options.Winett, 1991 (weak) [45]Purchase of healthier food options in two of the 13 categories increased in the intervention group compared to the control group.Winett, 1991 (weak) [46]Purchase of healthier food options in two categories increased in the intervention group compared to the control group. 1 Classification of the study regarding risk of bias between brackets.…”

Increasing the safety of children's vehicle travel: From effective risk communication to behavior change

“…Point-of-purchase interventions for changing shoppers' health behaviors have been beneficial in the past (Mayor, Dubbert, & Elder, 1989;Winett et al, 1991;Winett, Kramer, Walker, Malone, & Lane, 1988), and are consistent with the social marketing principle dictating proper ''placement'' of a behavior-change intervention (Kotler & Zaltman, 1971). In addition to increasing the number of behavior-change agents in a community, collaborating with local businesses also provides for an obvious location for safety-seat checkpoints-the businesses' parking lots.…”