Nutritional Quality of Food PurchasesOpticoursesNCT02383875
An Interventional Study to Reduce Social Disparities in Diet Quality in the Northern Districts of Marseille
A study testing Opticourses in people with Nutritional Quality of Food Purchases, run by Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement.
Trial summary
The Opticourses project aims to improve the nutritional quality/price (NQP) ratio of the food purchases of people claiming to be facing financial problems. Following one of the main principles of the French National Nutrition and Health Program (PNNS), the project starts from the principle that to modify food… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Nutritional Quality of Food Purchases
- What is being tested?
- Opticourses
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 189 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- Sep 2012to Aug 2014
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- living in the northern districts of Marseille
- willingness to be involved in an intervention session aimed at improving the nutritional quality of food purchases under budgetary constraints
Who cannot join
- none
About this study
Official title: An Interventional Study to Reduce Social Disparities in Diet Quality in the Northern Districts of Marseille (Opticourses)
The Opticourses project aims to improve the nutritional quality/price (NQP) ratio of the food purchases of people claiming to be facing financial problems. Following one of the main principles of the French National Nutrition and Health Program (PNNS), the project starts from the principle that to modify food consumption favourably and durably, one must act on both the demand and the supply (see figure). The "demand" part of the project is based on participatory workshops, and the "supply" part relies on intervention of social marketing in shops.
Read the detailed description
The demand part of the project is based on intervention sessions consisting in five two-hour workshops with about ten participants. The workshops were based on the people's actual purchases and notably on their till receipts. During the five sessions, the receipts were used as intervention tools: participants and research staff discussed the receipts brought in by them all, and exchanged ideas and experiences around food purchasing behaviors.
- First workshop: Opticourses intervention presentation, discussion about grocery shopping strategies, explanation of protocol for receipt collection and annotation, two quiz on nutritional knowledge, food shopping exercise on a catalog;
- Second workshop: discussion about the receipt collection and help to participants encountering difficulties, food groups teaching;
- Third workshop: till receipts delivery by each participant, food with a high nutritional quality for their price teaching;
- Fourth workshop: individual return on the nutritional quality of food purchase on the basis of till receipts analysis, individual objectives to improve the nutritional quality of food purchase at no additional cost, discussion about discount food representations, two quiz on nutritional knowledge, food shopping exercise on a catalog;
- Fifth workshop: assessment of the Opticourses intervention with the participants, discussion about their behavioral modification regarding grocery shopping.
The supply part of the project aims at influencing the supply by means of social marketing. The research team intervenes in two "discount" shops (DIA retailer) in the northern districts in order to influence the food supply. In collaboration with the agency Link Up, a specialist in social marketing, a campaign to promote foods with a good NQP ratio has been launched (from January until June 2014). This public health campaign has the aim of making good NQP foods visible, available and attractive. For 6 months, all the foods with a good NQP ratio in the shop (identified by the research team) are put at the front of the shelves. Consumers can spot them thanks to a logo, "EAT TOP", accompanied by the claim "Nutritious and inexpensive; that's TOP". Good NQP foods are presented with the support of flyers and recipes, simple and accessible to everyone. Also, placing at the head of the gondola and in-store exhibitions are planned around star foods of the month. During the first two months, fish and canned foods will be given the most prominence. Consumers will find in the flyers made available: nutritional information, tips and tricks for cooking them, simple cheap recipes (less than 1€ per person) combining these good NQP foods (sardine rillettes, tuna pâté, etc.) and a TOP selection of good NQP foods available in the store.
- Conditions
- Nutritional Quality of Food Purchases
- Being tested
- Opticourses
- Keywords
- nutrition economics, food expenditure, nutritional quality, low income
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
OpticoursesBehavioural
An intervention session consisted of five two-hour educative workshops which aimed to help people to improve the nutritional quality of food purchases under budgetary constraints.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Opticourses education intervention | Experimental | People living in the northern districts of Marseille with in very deprived social situation: very low incomes, heavy financial dependence on social benefits, over-representation of people covered by arrangements for controlling poverty and people covered by free social security Receives: Behavioral: Opticourses |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Diagnostic of nutritional quality of food purchases
Opticourses participants collected food purchase receipts for their household over a one-month period which constituted a detailed record of the quantities of food entering their household. They were asked to save all till receipts for foods consumed at home. To facilitate data collection, participants were given a notebook of food purchases in which they could find step-by-step instructions, example receipts, and, on the last page, an envelope in which to collect the receipts. In case of incomplete or ambiguous printed information regarding the name of the shop, the name of a food, the quantities purchased or the price paid for a food, participants were instructed to write it on the receipt. Expenditure without receipts (gifts or other sources) was to be recorded in the notebook. The participants were also requested to ask other household members to keep their till receipts.
Measured: One-month - Between the first and the third workshop
Secondary outcomes (3)
Nutritional knowledge assessment: food groups
At the first workshop, Opticourses participants had to answer a quiz about food groups in order to assess their knowledge prior to the Opticourses intervention. At the fourth workshop, they answered the same quiz which permitted us to measure the intervention effect.
Measured: At the first workshop and 6 weeks later at the fourth
Nutritional knowledge assessment: food with a high nutritional quality for their price
At the first workshop, Opticourses participants had to answer a quiz about their knowledge of what is a food with a high nutritional quality for its price prior to the Opticourses intervention. At the fourth workshop, they answered the same quiz which permitted us to measure the intervention effect.
Measured: At the first workshop and 6 weeks later at the fourth
Experimental economics: food purchases on catalog
At the first workshop, Opticourses participants were asked to shop for food for two days and for all the members of their household on the basis of a food catalog. This catalog included food items with different price options. At the fourth workshop, they did it once again which permitted it to evaluate the intervention effect on their purchase intention regarding nutritional quality and price.
Measured: At the first workshop and 6 weeks later at the fourth
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted9 Mar 2015 (estimated)
- Study startSep 2012
- Primary completionAug 2014
- Study completionAug 2014
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (3)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Nutritional Quality of Food PurchasesStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 189 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Cancer Institute, France
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Nicole Darmon, Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02383875
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Opticourses
- Acronym
- Opticourses
- Status last verified
- Mar 2015
- First submitted
- 25 Feb 2015
- Last updated
- 9 Mar 2015
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
Publications
Tharrey M, Dubois C, Maillot M, Vieux F, Mejean C, Perignon M, Darmon N. Development of the Healthy Purchase Index (HPI): a scoring system to assess the nutritional quality of household food purchases. Public Health Nutr. 2019 Apr;22(5):765-775. doi: 10.1017/S1368980018003154. Epub 2018 Nov 26.
PubMed 30472975Perignon M, Dubois C, Gazan R, Maillot M, Muller L, Ruffieux B, Gaigi H, Darmon N. Co-construction and Evaluation of a Prevention Program for Improving the Nutritional Quality of Food Purchases at No Additional Cost in a Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Population. Curr Dev Nutr. 2017 Sep 13;1(10):e001107. doi: 10.3945/cdn.117.001107. eCollection 2017 Oct.
PubMed 29955680Marty L, Dubois C, Gaubard MS, Maidon A, Lesturgeon A, Gaigi H, Darmon N. Higher nutritional quality at no additional cost among low-income households: insights from food purchases of "positive deviants". Am J Clin Nutr. 2015 Jul;102(1):190-8. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.114.104380. Epub 2015 May 27.
PubMed 26016868
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 9 Mar 2015. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- An Interventional Study to Reduce Social Disparities in Diet Quality in the Northern Districts of Marseille (Opticourses)
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02383875
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Opticourses / Opticourses
- Conditions
- Nutritional Quality of Food Purchases
- Keywords
- nutrition economics, food expenditure, nutritional quality, low income
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 189 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'EnvironnementUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Cancer Institute, France
- Study start
- Sep 2012
- Primary completion
- Aug 2014 (actual)
- Study completion
- Aug 2014 (actual)
- First posted
- 9 Mar 2015 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The Opticourses project aims to improve the nutritional quality/price (NQP) ratio of the food purchases of people claiming to be facing financial problems. Following one of the main principles of the French National Nutrition and Health Program (PNNS), the project starts from the principle that to modify food consumption favourably and durably, one must act on both the demand and the supply (see figure). The "demand" part of the project is based on participatory workshops, and the "supply" part relies on intervention of social marketing in shops.
Detailed description
The demand part of the project is based on intervention sessions consisting in five two-hour workshops with about ten participants. The workshops were based on the people's actual purchases and notably on their till receipts. During the five sessions, the receipts were used as intervention tools: participants and research staff discussed the receipts brought in by them all, and exchanged ideas and experiences around food purchasing behaviors.
- First workshop: Opticourses intervention presentation, discussion about grocery shopping strategies, explanation of protocol for receipt collection and annotation, two quiz on nutritional knowledge, food shopping exercise on a catalog;
- Second workshop: discussion about the receipt collection and help to participants encountering difficulties, food groups teaching;
- Third workshop: till receipts delivery by each participant, food with a high nutritional quality for their price teaching;
- Fourth workshop: individual return on the nutritional quality of food purchase on the basis of till receipts analysis, individual objectives to improve the nutritional quality of food purchase at no additional cost, discussion about discount food representations, two quiz on nutritional knowledge, food shopping exercise on a catalog;
- Fifth workshop: assessment of the Opticourses intervention with the participants, discussion about their behavioral modification regarding grocery shopping.
The supply part of the project aims at influencing the supply by means of social marketing. The research team intervenes in two "discount" shops (DIA retailer) in the northern districts in order to influence the food supply. In collaboration with the agency Link Up, a specialist in social marketing, a campaign to promote foods with a good NQP ratio has been launched (from January until June 2014). This public health campaign has the aim of making good NQP foods visible, available and attractive. For 6 months, all the foods with a good NQP ratio in the shop (identified by the research team) are put at the front of the shelves. Consumers can spot them thanks to a logo, "EAT TOP", accompanied by the claim "Nutritious and inexpensive; that's TOP". Good NQP foods are presented with the support of flyers and recipes, simple and accessible to everyone. Also, placing at the head of the gondola and in-store exhibitions are planned around star foods of the month. During the first two months, fish and canned foods will be given the most prominence. Consumers will find in the flyers made available: nutritional information, tips and tricks for cooking them, simple cheap recipes (less than 1€ per person) combining these good NQP foods (sardine rillettes, tuna pâté, etc.) and a TOP selection of good NQP foods available in the store.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Opticourses education intervention | Experimental | Behavioral: OpticoursesPeople living in the northern districts of Marseille with in very deprived social situation: very low incomes, heavy financial dependence on social benefits, over-representation of people covered by arrangements for controlling poverty and people covered by free social security |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- living in the northern districts of Marseille
- willingness to be involved in an intervention session aimed at improving the nutritional quality of food purchases under budgetary constraints
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- none
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| OpticoursesAn intervention session consisted of five two-hour educative workshops which aimed to help people to improve the nutritional quality of food purchases under budgetary constraints. | Behavioural | Opticourses education intervention |
Primary outcome
Diagnostic of nutritional quality of food purchases
Time frame: One-month - Between the first and the third workshop
Opticourses participants collected food purchase receipts for their household over a one-month period which constituted a detailed record of the quantities of food entering their household. They were asked to save all till receipts for foods consumed at home. To facilitate data collection, participants were given a notebook of food purchases in which they could find step-by-step instructions, example receipts, and, on the last page, an envelope in which to collect the receipts. In case of incomplete or ambiguous printed information regarding the name of the shop, the name of a food, the quantities purchased or the price paid for a food, participants were instructed to write it on the receipt. Expenditure without receipts (gifts or other sources) was to be recorded in the notebook. The participants were also requested to ask other household members to keep their till receipts.
3 secondary outcomes
Nutritional knowledge assessment: food groups
Time frame: At the first workshop and 6 weeks later at the fourth
Nutritional knowledge assessment: food with a high nutritional quality for their price
Time frame: At the first workshop and 6 weeks later at the fourth
Experimental economics: food purchases on catalog
Time frame: At the first workshop and 6 weeks later at the fourth
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 9 Mar 2015.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 30472975Tharrey M, Dubois C, Maillot M, Vieux F, Mejean C, Perignon M, Darmon N. Development of the Healthy Purchase Index (HPI): a scoring system to assess the nutritional quality of household food purchases. Public Health Nutr. 2019 Apr;22(5):765-775. doi: 10.1017/S1368980018003154. Epub 2018 Nov 26.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 29955680Perignon M, Dubois C, Gazan R, Maillot M, Muller L, Ruffieux B, Gaigi H, Darmon N. Co-construction and Evaluation of a Prevention Program for Improving the Nutritional Quality of Food Purchases at No Additional Cost in a Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Population. Curr Dev Nutr. 2017 Sep 13;1(10):e001107. doi: 10.3945/cdn.117.001107. eCollection 2017 Oct.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 26016868Marty L, Dubois C, Gaubard MS, Maidon A, Lesturgeon A, Gaigi H, Darmon N. Higher nutritional quality at no additional cost among low-income households: insights from food purchases of "positive deviants". Am J Clin Nutr. 2015 Jul;102(1):190-8. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.114.104380. Epub 2015 May 27.
- Opticourses project websiteLink provided by the sponsor.
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Opticourses in people with Nutritional Quality of Food Purchases, run by Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 9 Mar 2015. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Diagnostic of nutritional quality of food purchases (time frame: One-month - Between the first and the third workshop). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02383875, which also lists 3 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 9 Mar 2015.