ObesityNCT02489396
Promoting Healthier Food Purchases By Leveraging the Online-Grocery Environment
An observational study of Obesity, run by University of Vermont at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Rationale: Online-grocery shopping is predicted to be one of the "hottest" food trends of 2014, as national retailers such as Amazon, as well as start-up companies, venture into the e- commerce grocery sector. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any ageHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Obesity
- What is being tested?
- Nutrition facts automatically or not automatically displayed, Nutrition facts in color and Nutrition Facts Label in Larger Font
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- How many people
- 400 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- Aug 2015to Aug 2019
- Phase
- Observational
- 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 Any age
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Study population: All orders placed on any of the Rosie sites or apps in the study period will be included. No active recruiting of participants will take place, data will only be collected from existing Rosie customers. Participants will not be informed that manipulations are happening on the website, other than notices the company occasionally displays when they are revising features of the website. In order to determine whether any of the proposed "mindless" interventions actually work, it is imperative that consumer attention not be drawn to changes in the site. It is expected that 400-1000 orders per month will be included as part of the study during each two-month intervention period.
Who may be able to join
- Shopping on a Rosie grocery site
Who cannot join
- No exclusion criteria, all orders will be eligible
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Rationale: Online-grocery shopping is predicted to be one of the "hottest" food trends of 2014, as national retailers such as Amazon, as well as start-up companies, venture into the e- commerce grocery sector. Importantly, the online-grocery environment could be uniquely manipulated to promote healthier food purchasing and help with weight control. Since consumers tend to choose items listed first on menus and buffet lines, the order of food products displayed on the grocer's website may impact purchasing. Furthermore, it's possible that in an online-grocery environment, nutrition information could be made more salient to consumers. For example, previous research has demonstrated that label color influences perceptions of the healthfulness of foods. The FDA also recently proposed a redesign of foods' nutrition facts panels, which would highlight calorie content in a larger font. Although implementing this label change on all food labels could take years, e-commerce sites could change the format of the nutritional information they display much more quickly.
Objectives: The proposed study intends to nudge consumers to make healthier grocery purchases through three distinct interventions: 1.) Manipulating the order of food items within grocery categories; 2.) Displaying product nutrition information in red or green; and 3.) Presenting calorie information in a larger font size. We propose to examine these concepts in adult consumers using a grocery e-commerce platform servicing socioeconomically and racially diverse communities in the northeastern U.S.
- Conditions
- Obesity
- Being tested
- Nutrition facts automatically or not automatically displayed, Nutrition facts in color, Nutrition Facts Label in Larger Font, Healthier Items First
- Medical subject headings
- Obesity
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Nutrition facts automatically or not automatically displayedBehavioural
For two months nutrition information on the Rosie site will be displayed in a "tab" that consumers can click on to display the nutrition facts panels of products. Investigators will use NuVal scores to determine the fifteen "healthiest," and fifteen "least healthy" items in six grocery categories; chips, cookies, cereal \& breakfast, yogurt, ice cream, and frozen pizza. We will then compare the number of clicks on nutrition information for healthier versus less healthy items to determine if there's a possibility of willful ignorance coming into play when choosing to purchase less healthy items.
Nutrition facts in colorBehavioural
For two months the font on products' nutrition facts labels will be displayed in red or green. For this proof-of-concept intervention, the color of a label's display will be determined randomly, in order to gather a clearer picture of whether label color could be leveraged to influence product choice. Items in each grocery category will be randomly assigned to receive green or red labels during the intervention period, so 50% of products in each category have red nutrition facts labels, and 50% have green nutrition facts labels. We will then compare proportions of green to red items purchased during the intervention period with the proportion of those same items purchased during the baseline period, when all labels were in black font.
Nutrition Facts Label in Larger FontBehavioural
For two months the serving size and calorie lines on the nutrition facts labels will be displayed in a larger font for every item on the Rosie site. Average calories in customer purchases will be quantified using purchase data, and the average calories for online-grocery orders during baseline and intervention periods will be compared.
Healthier Items FirstBehavioural
For two months, instead of the product popularity default-display option in the online store, thirty healthier items will be displayed on the first page in each grocery category. All grocery categories where there is scoring variation between healthy and less-healthy options (i.e. cereal, chips, bakery, sauces, etc.) will be included in the intervention. The thirty-targeted healthy items will be identified using NuVal scores. NuVal scores will not actually be displayed as part of the shopping site, and will be used exclusively as a guide to systematically determine targeted items in each food category. The proportion of targeted healthy items purchased in each category versus non-targeted items purchased during the intervention will be compared to the proportion of targeted vs. non-targeted items purchased during the baseline period.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Grocery Customers | All customers who shop on the Rosie site during the intervention period. Receives: Behavioral: Nutrition facts automatically or not automatically displayed; Behavioral: Nutrition facts in color; Behavioral: Nutrition Facts Label in Larger Font; Behavioral: Healthier Items First |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Food Purchasing of targeted items
Company purchasing records will be used to track purchasing of items during the baseline period, as well as during the intervention periods, for the healthier items displayed first and nutrition-facts label interventions.
Measured: Continuously throughout the intervention expected average of 52 weeks
Click Rate of targeted food items
We will tabulate a "click-rate" for each targeted product during the intervention periods and at baseline to determine whether consumers clicked on the nutrition facts panels more often for healthier versus less-healthy products, and if consumers clicked more often when calories were displayed in larger fonts or were listed in red/green. We will also be able to determine whether customers clicked more often on the targeted healthy items when they were listed first on the website in each category. Clicks for each item will be tabulated weekly and averaged over the intervention or baseline periods.
Measured: Continuously throughout the intervention expected average of 52 weeks
Nutrient Analysis of Food Purchased by consumers
To determine whether average number of calories purchased changed when calories and serving sizes were displayed in larger fonts, we will use purchasing data to compare the average number of calories purchased in orders before the font change to the average number of calories purchased during the font change. Calories per item will be determined using the USDA database, which houses nutrition facts for all foods on the Rosie website.
Measured: Continuously throughout the intervention expected average of 52 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted3 Jul 2015 (estimated)
- Study startAug 2015
- Primary completionAug 2019 (estimated)
- Study completionAug 2019 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for ObesityStudies 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
- Observational
- Observational model
- Other
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 400 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Vermont
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Lizzy Pope, University of Vermont
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02489396
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 029898
- Status last verified
- Apr 2018
- First submitted
- 29 Jun 2015
- Last updated
- 3 May 2018
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: Because the data is coming from a private business, we do not plan to share the data publicly.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 3 May 2018. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Promoting Healthier Food Purchases By Leveraging the Online-Grocery Environment
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02489396
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 029898
- Conditions
- Obesity
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Unknown status
- Enrolment
- 400 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of VermontUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- Aug 2015
- Primary completion
- Aug 2019 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Aug 2019 (estimated)
- First posted
- 3 Jul 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.
Rationale: Online-grocery shopping is predicted to be one of the "hottest" food trends of 2014, as national retailers such as Amazon, as well as start-up companies, venture into the e- commerce grocery sector. Importantly, the online-grocery environment could be uniquely manipulated to promote healthier food purchasing and help with weight control. Since consumers tend to choose items listed first on menus and buffet lines, the order of food products displayed on the grocer's website may impact purchasing. Furthermore, it's possible that in an online-grocery environment, nutrition information could be made more salient to consumers. For example, previous research has demonstrated that label color influences perceptions of the healthfulness of foods. The FDA also recently proposed a redesign of foods' nutrition facts panels, which would highlight calorie content in a larger font. Although implementing this label change on all food labels could take years, e-commerce sites could change the format of the nutritional information they display much more quickly.
Objectives: The proposed study intends to nudge consumers to make healthier grocery purchases through three distinct interventions: 1.) Manipulating the order of food items within grocery categories; 2.) Displaying product nutrition information in red or green; and 3.) Presenting calorie information in a larger font size. We propose to examine these concepts in adult consumers using a grocery e-commerce platform servicing socioeconomically and racially diverse communities in the northeastern U.S.
Study design
- Observational model
- Other
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Grocery Customers | – | Behavioral: Nutrition facts automatically or not automatically displayed, Behavioral: Nutrition facts in color, Behavioral: Nutrition Facts Label in Larger Font, Behavioral: Healthier Items FirstAll customers who shop on the Rosie site during the intervention period. |
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- All orders placed on any of the Rosie sites or apps in the study period will be included. No active recruiting of participants will take place, data will only be collected from existing Rosie customers. Participants will not be informed that manipulations are happening on the website, other than notices the company occasionally displays when they are revising features of the website. In order to determine whether any of the proposed "mindless" interventions actually work, it is imperative that consumer attention not be drawn to changes in the site. It is expected that 400-1000 orders per month will be included as part of the study during each two-month intervention period.
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Shopping on a Rosie grocery site
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- No exclusion criteria, all orders will be eligible
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Nutrition facts automatically or not automatically displayedFor two months nutrition information on the Rosie site will be displayed in a "tab" that consumers can click on to display the nutrition facts panels of products. Investigators will use NuVal scores to determine the fifteen "healthiest," and fifteen "least healthy" items in six grocery categories; chips, cookies, cereal \& breakfast, yogurt, ice cream, and frozen pizza. We will then compare the number of clicks on nutrition information for healthier versus less healthy items to determine if there's a possibility of willful ignorance coming into play when choosing to purchase less healthy items. | Behavioural | Grocery Customers |
| Nutrition facts in colorFor two months the font on products' nutrition facts labels will be displayed in red or green. For this proof-of-concept intervention, the color of a label's display will be determined randomly, in order to gather a clearer picture of whether label color could be leveraged to influence product choice. Items in each grocery category will be randomly assigned to receive green or red labels during the intervention period, so 50% of products in each category have red nutrition facts labels, and 50% have green nutrition facts labels. We will then compare proportions of green to red items purchased during the intervention period with the proportion of those same items purchased during the baseline period, when all labels were in black font. | Behavioural | Grocery Customers |
| Nutrition Facts Label in Larger FontFor two months the serving size and calorie lines on the nutrition facts labels will be displayed in a larger font for every item on the Rosie site. Average calories in customer purchases will be quantified using purchase data, and the average calories for online-grocery orders during baseline and intervention periods will be compared. | Behavioural | Grocery Customers |
| Healthier Items FirstFor two months, instead of the product popularity default-display option in the online store, thirty healthier items will be displayed on the first page in each grocery category. All grocery categories where there is scoring variation between healthy and less-healthy options (i.e. cereal, chips, bakery, sauces, etc.) will be included in the intervention. The thirty-targeted healthy items will be identified using NuVal scores. NuVal scores will not actually be displayed as part of the shopping site, and will be used exclusively as a guide to systematically determine targeted items in each food category. The proportion of targeted healthy items purchased in each category versus non-targeted items purchased during the intervention will be compared to the proportion of targeted vs. non-targeted items purchased during the baseline period. | Behavioural | Grocery Customers |
Primary outcome
Food Purchasing of targeted items
Time frame: Continuously throughout the intervention expected average of 52 weeks
Company purchasing records will be used to track purchasing of items during the baseline period, as well as during the intervention periods, for the healthier items displayed first and nutrition-facts label interventions.
Click Rate of targeted food items
Time frame: Continuously throughout the intervention expected average of 52 weeks
We will tabulate a "click-rate" for each targeted product during the intervention periods and at baseline to determine whether consumers clicked on the nutrition facts panels more often for healthier versus less-healthy products, and if consumers clicked more often when calories were displayed in larger fonts or were listed in red/green. We will also be able to determine whether customers clicked more often on the targeted healthy items when they were listed first on the website in each category. Clicks for each item will be tabulated weekly and averaged over the intervention or baseline periods.
Nutrient Analysis of Food Purchased by consumers
Time frame: Continuously throughout the intervention expected average of 52 weeks
To determine whether average number of calories purchased changed when calories and serving sizes were displayed in larger fonts, we will use purchasing data to compare the average number of calories purchased in orders before the font change to the average number of calories purchased during the font change. Calories per item will be determined using the USDA database, which houses nutrition facts for all foods on the Rosie website.
Results and safety
Results are not available in the source record.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 3 May 2018.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. Because the data is coming from a private business, we do not plan to share the data publicly.
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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.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Obesity, run by University of Vermont at 1 site in United States.
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 1 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: status not confirmed, as of the sponsor's last update on 3 May 2018. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
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?
Results are not available in the source record.
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?
Food Purchasing of targeted items (time frame: Continuously throughout the intervention expected average of 52 weeks). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
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 3 May 2018.