Food InsecuritySCNIPNCT02976389
Southern California Nutrition Incentive Program
A study testing Financial Incentive: High, Financial Incentive: Middle and Financial Incentive: Low in people with Food Insecurity, run by University of California, San Diego at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The specific aims of this proposal are to implement SCNIP in 6 Northgate Gonzalez Markets across San Diego, Orange and LA counties (2 in each county), and determine which level of financial incentive rebate (specifically, $10/month, $20/month, or $40/month) optimally increases the purchase and consumption of SNAP… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Food Insecurity
- What is being tested?
- Financial Incentive: High, Financial Incentive: Middle and Financial Incentive: Low
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 3,780 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 Jan 2017to 31 Dec 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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
- Northgate Gonzalez Market customer who currently receives SNAP benefits and has a valid EBT card
- 18 years of age or older
- Speaks and reads in English or Spanish
- Shops at the selected Northgate Gonzalez Market regularly, at least two times per month
Who cannot join
- Does not receive SNAP benefits
- Unable to complete surveys in English or Spanish
- Another immediate family member living in the same household is already recruited into the study
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, California, 92093
About this study
The specific aims of this proposal are to implement SCNIP in 6 Northgate Gonzalez Markets across San Diego, Orange and LA counties (2 in each county), and determine which level of financial incentive rebate (specifically, $10/month, $20/month, or $40/month) optimally increases the purchase and consumption of SNAP eligible fruits and vegetables.
Read the detailed description
The University of California San Diego (UCSD) Center for Community Health, in collaboration with Northgate Gonzalez Markets and its regional partners, will implement a Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive program in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego Counties - the Southern California Nutrition Incentive Program (SCNIP). This program will develop, implement and evaluate a multi-tiered model that will enable low-income, SNAP-eligible consumers to make healthier food choices and purchase more fruits and vegetables. This model will include: tier 1) an innovative fruit and vegetable financial incentive rebate program that utilizes the consumer's Northgate Gonzalez Market customer loyalty card, electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card, and electronic wallet (e-wallet); tier 2) fruit and vegetable promotions that include discount pricing; and tier 3) SNAP-Ed programming (e.g., in-store cooking classes, tours, and healthy food self-labeling system) to educate and support the purchasing behaviors of SNAP-eligible families. Through the use of the customer loyalty card, EBT card, and e-wallet, the rebate program will be able to track the purchase of SCNIP eligible fruits and vegetables and provide a rebate at the point-of-sale that can be used to purchase additional fruits and vegetables, thus increasing the purchasing power of SNAP-eligible families for healthy food options. Earned and dispensed rebate dollars will be stored on the e-wallet enabling the tracking of purchasing behaviors and dollars spent on healthy fruits and vegetables in this program. With this data, we will be able to determine what level of financial incentive rebate ($10/month, $20/month, or $40/month) (tier 1) optimally increased SNAP families' per capita spending on fruits and vegetables in conjunction with the fruit and vegetable promotions (tier 2) and nutrition education activities (tier 3).
- Conditions
- Food Insecurity
- Being tested
- Financial Incentive: High, Financial Incentive: Middle, Financial Incentive: Low
- Keywords
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Food insecurity, fruit and vegetable, healthy diet
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Financial Incentive: HighOther
Also called Mas Fresco
dlParticipants in this group will receive an additional $40/month to use towards the purchase of SNAP eligible fruits and vegetables. They will be able to access these dollars through an electronic wallet (e-wallet) that is tied to their customer loyalty card. They will also have access to the fruit and vegetable promotions that include discount pricing and SNAP-Ed programming (e.g., in-store cooking classes, tours, and healthy food self-labeling system) to educate and support the purchasing behaviors of SNAP-eligible families.
Financial Incentive: MiddleOther
Also called Mas Fresco
Participants in this group will receive an additional $20/month to use towards the purchase of SNAP eligible fruits and vegetables. They will be able to access these dollars through an electronic wallet (e-wallet) that is tied to their customer loyalty card. They will also have access to the fruit and vegetable promotions that include discount pricing and SNAP-Ed programming (e.g., in-store cooking classes, tours, and healthy food self-labeling system) to educate and support the purchasing behaviors of SNAP-eligible families.
Financial Incentive: LowOther
Also called Mas Fresco
Participants in this group will receive an additional $10/month to use towards the purchase of SNAP eligible fruits and vegetables. They will be able to access these dollars through an electronic wallet (e-wallet) that is tied to their customer loyalty card. They will also have access to the fruit and vegetable promotions that include discount pricing and SNAP-Ed programming (e.g., in-store cooking classes, tours, and healthy food self-labeling system) to educate and support the purchasing behaviors of SNAP-eligible families.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| $40/month | Experimental | Financial incentives: Participants will be randomized to receive $40/month in incentive dollars for the purchase of SNAP eligible fruits and vegetables. Purchasing behaviors will be tracked. Receives: Other: Financial Incentive: High |
| $20/month | Active comparator | Financial Incentives: Participants will be randomized to receive $20/month in incentive dollars for the purchase of SNAP eligible fruits and vegetables. Purchasing behaviors will be tracked. Receives: Other: Financial Incentive: Middle |
| $10/month | Active comparator | Financial Incentives: Participants will be randomized to receive $10/month in incentive dollars for the purchase of SNAP eligible fruits and vegetables. Purchasing behaviors will be tracked. Receives: Other: Financial Incentive: Low |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Dollars spent on Fruits and Vegetables
Total amount of incentive dollars spent on Fruits and Vegetables per month
Measured: 1 year
Quantity of Fruits and Vegetables
total quantity of fruits and vegetables purchased per month with incentive dollars
Measured: 1 year
Secondary outcomes (2)
Dietary intake
Change in self-reported fruit and vegetable consumption during the intervention
Measured: 1 year
Six-item short form of the Food Security Survey Module
Change in food insecurity score at the end of the intervention period
Measured: 1 year
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted29 Nov 2016 (estimated)
- Study start1 Jan 2017
- Primary completion31 Dec 2024
- Study completion31 Dec 2025 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Food InsecurityStudies 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
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 3,780 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, San Diego
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- The California Endowment, The Ecology Center, Center for Good Food Purchasing, Northgate Gonzalez Markets, Latino Health Access, California Department of Health Services, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Kay Rhee, University of California, San Diego
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02976389
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2016-70025-25247
- Other IDs
- 2016
- Acronym
- SCNIP
- Status last verified
- Aug 2025
- First submitted
- 21 Nov 2016
- Last updated
- 5 Aug 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: Data will be shared with USDA on a quarterly basis. Data will include number of participants recruited, amount of incentive dollars used. USDA will determine when this data will be released
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 5 Aug 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Southern California Nutrition Incentive Program
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02976389
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- SCNIP / 2016-70025-25247
- Conditions
- Food Insecurity
- Keywords
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Food insecurity, fruit and vegetable, healthy diet
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Active, not recruiting
- Enrolment
- 3,780 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, San DiegoUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- The California Endowment, The Ecology Center, Center for Good Food Purchasing, Northgate Gonzalez Markets, Latino Health Access, California Department of Health Services, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- Study start
- 1 Jan 2017 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Dec 2024 (actual)
- Study completion
- 31 Dec 2025 (estimated)
- First posted
- 29 Nov 2016 (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 specific aims of this proposal are to implement SCNIP in 6 Northgate Gonzalez Markets across San Diego, Orange and LA counties (2 in each county), and determine which level of financial incentive rebate (specifically, $10/month, $20/month, or $40/month) optimally increases the purchase and consumption of SNAP eligible fruits and vegetables.
Detailed description
The University of California San Diego (UCSD) Center for Community Health, in collaboration with Northgate Gonzalez Markets and its regional partners, will implement a Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive program in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego Counties - the Southern California Nutrition Incentive Program (SCNIP). This program will develop, implement and evaluate a multi-tiered model that will enable low-income, SNAP-eligible consumers to make healthier food choices and purchase more fruits and vegetables. This model will include: tier 1) an innovative fruit and vegetable financial incentive rebate program that utilizes the consumer's Northgate Gonzalez Market customer loyalty card, electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card, and electronic wallet (e-wallet); tier 2) fruit and vegetable promotions that include discount pricing; and tier 3) SNAP-Ed programming (e.g., in-store cooking classes, tours, and healthy food self-labeling system) to educate and support the purchasing behaviors of SNAP-eligible families. Through the use of the customer loyalty card, EBT card, and e-wallet, the rebate program will be able to track the purchase of SCNIP eligible fruits and vegetables and provide a rebate at the point-of-sale that can be used to purchase additional fruits and vegetables, thus increasing the purchasing power of SNAP-eligible families for healthy food options. Earned and dispensed rebate dollars will be stored on the e-wallet enabling the tracking of purchasing behaviors and dollars spent on healthy fruits and vegetables in this program. With this data, we will be able to determine what level of financial incentive rebate ($10/month, $20/month, or $40/month) (tier 1) optimally increased SNAP families' per capita spending on fruits and vegetables in conjunction with the fruit and vegetable promotions (tier 2) and nutrition education activities (tier 3).
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| $40/month | Experimental | Other: Financial Incentive: HighFinancial incentives: Participants will be randomized to receive $40/month in incentive dollars for the purchase of SNAP eligible fruits and vegetables. Purchasing behaviors will be tracked. |
| $20/month | Active comparator | Other: Financial Incentive: MiddleFinancial Incentives: Participants will be randomized to receive $20/month in incentive dollars for the purchase of SNAP eligible fruits and vegetables. Purchasing behaviors will be tracked. |
| $10/month | Active comparator | Other: Financial Incentive: LowFinancial Incentives: Participants will be randomized to receive $10/month in incentive dollars for the purchase of SNAP eligible fruits and vegetables. Purchasing behaviors will be tracked. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Northgate Gonzalez Market customer who currently receives SNAP benefits and has a valid EBT card
- 18 years of age or older
- Speaks and reads in English or Spanish
- Shops at the selected Northgate Gonzalez Market regularly, at least two times per month
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Does not receive SNAP benefits
- Unable to complete surveys in English or Spanish
- Another immediate family member living in the same household is already recruited into the study
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Financial Incentive: HighAlso: Mas FrescodlParticipants in this group will receive an additional $40/month to use towards the purchase of SNAP eligible fruits and vegetables. They will be able to access these dollars through an electronic wallet (e-wallet) that is tied to their customer loyalty card. They will also have access to the fruit and vegetable promotions that include discount pricing and SNAP-Ed programming (e.g., in-store cooking classes, tours, and healthy food self-labeling system) to educate and support the purchasing behaviors of SNAP-eligible families. | Other | $40/month |
| Financial Incentive: MiddleAlso: Mas FrescoParticipants in this group will receive an additional $20/month to use towards the purchase of SNAP eligible fruits and vegetables. They will be able to access these dollars through an electronic wallet (e-wallet) that is tied to their customer loyalty card. They will also have access to the fruit and vegetable promotions that include discount pricing and SNAP-Ed programming (e.g., in-store cooking classes, tours, and healthy food self-labeling system) to educate and support the purchasing behaviors of SNAP-eligible families. | Other | $20/month |
| Financial Incentive: LowAlso: Mas FrescoParticipants in this group will receive an additional $10/month to use towards the purchase of SNAP eligible fruits and vegetables. They will be able to access these dollars through an electronic wallet (e-wallet) that is tied to their customer loyalty card. They will also have access to the fruit and vegetable promotions that include discount pricing and SNAP-Ed programming (e.g., in-store cooking classes, tours, and healthy food self-labeling system) to educate and support the purchasing behaviors of SNAP-eligible families. | Other | $10/month |
Primary outcome
Dollars spent on Fruits and Vegetables
Time frame: 1 year
Total amount of incentive dollars spent on Fruits and Vegetables per month
Quantity of Fruits and Vegetables
Time frame: 1 year
total quantity of fruits and vegetables purchased per month with incentive dollars
2 secondary outcomes
Dietary intake
Time frame: 1 year
Six-item short form of the Food Security Survey Module
Time frame: 1 year
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 5 Aug 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. Data will be shared with USDA on a quarterly basis. Data will include number of participants recruited, amount of incentive dollars used. USDA will determine when this data will be released
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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?
A study testing Financial Incentive: High, Financial Incentive: Middle and Financial Incentive: Low in people with Food Insecurity, run by University of California, San Diego 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 4 inclusion and 3 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: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 5 Aug 2025. 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
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?
Dollars spent on Fruits and Vegetables (time frame: 1 year). The study lists 2 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 5 Aug 2025.