ObesityFGSNCT05899634
The Family Grocery Pilot: Optimal Defaults in Online Grocery Shopping Among Families
A study testing Defaults in people with Obesity, run by State University of New York at Buffalo at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The obesity epidemic continues to be a major public health concern, impacting nearly one-fifth of US children. One of the most robust predictors of childhood obesity risk is parental obesity and children who are overweight by age 5 are at increased risk for future obesity. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Obesity
- What is being tested?
- Defaults
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 70 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 14 Jun 2023to 31 Dec 2024
- 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
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Participating parent/guardian must be at least 18 years old
- Must have a 2-to-5-year-old child in the household
- Must grocery shop online (via Instacart) from Tops, Wegmans, and/or Aldi stores at least 75% of the time
- Child must have at least one parent/guardian meeting criteria for overweight/obesity (BMI >25)
- Must speak English
Who cannot join
- Parent/guardian is under 18 years of age
- Does not have at least one 2-to-5-year-old child living in the household
- Does not shop online at Tops, Wegmans, and/or Aldi stores at least 75% of the time
- Child does not have at least one parent/guardian meeting criteria for overweight/obesity
- Does not speak English
- Has dietary restrictions or preferences that would not allow them to reasonably partake in the study (i.e., they would not be willing or able to buy/eat many of the staple foods included in default carts/recipe cards)
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
State University of New York at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York, 14214
About this study
Official title: The Family Grocery Pilot: Examining the Use of Optimal Defaults in Online Grocery Shopping Among Families With 2-to-5-year-old Children.
The obesity epidemic continues to be a major public health concern, impacting nearly one-fifth of US children. One of the most robust predictors of childhood obesity risk is parental obesity and children who are overweight by age 5 are at increased risk for future obesity. A healthful diet is a significant part of preventing overweight and obesity and the home food environment can be a predictor of children's dietary intake. The goal of the proposed pilot study is to examine the feasibility and efficacy of a new family-based approach to early childhood obesity prevention, using optimal defaults in the form of pre-filled, default online grocery shopping carts to promote healthier grocery shopping among families with young children at risk for obesity, potentially influencing the home food environment and dietary intake.
Read the detailed description
The goal of the proposed pilot study is to examine the feasibility and efficacy of a new family-based approach to early childhood obesity prevention, using optimal defaults in the form of pre-filled, default online grocery shopping carts to promote healthier grocery shopping among families with young children at risk for obesity. The specific aims are to: (1) test the feasibility and efficacy of a Defaults grocery shopping intervention designed to promote healthier grocery purchases among families with obesity, and (2) test effects of this intervention on the home food environment and dietary intake. To do this a randomized controlled intervention study has been designed, in which all study participants will receive 3 healthy recipes each week of a two-week intervention period, and intervention group will have their online grocery shopping carts pre-filled with corresponding ingredients.
Families who already grocery shop online and who have a 2-to-5-year-old child at home who is at increased obesity risk based on parental weight status will be randomly assigned to the intervention (Defaults) or control (Recipes) group. At baseline, all participants will complete a survey online and then will grocery shop as usual for two weeks. The baseline period will also serve as a run-in period, and participants who do not comply with study guidelines for baseline procedures will not be randomized for further participation. Participants will then be randomized and enter a two-week intervention period. During this period, all participants will be given recipe cards (3 main meal recipes + 1 snack/breakfast recipe each week), featuring healthful, budget friendly meals developed by dietitians. The Recipes group will continue to grocery shop as normal. The Defaults group will have their online shopping carts pre-filled with the study recipe ingredients. They will be told their cart has been filled with those items that could be used to make the healthful recipes on the recipe cards given to them. They may modify their carts as they choose. It is hypothesized that the Defaults group will have weekly grocery purchases with greater nutritional quality and lower energy content, compared to the Recipes group. It is hypothesized that the Defaults group will also have a home food environment with a greater nutritional quality score than the Recipes (via the Healthy Eating Index). Dietary intake of parents and children in the Defaults group will also have a higher nutritional quality, compared to the Recipes group, as indicated by food photography during 3 dinner meals during the intervention period.
- Conditions
- Obesity
- Being tested
- Defaults
- Keywords
- grocery shopping, online grocery shopping, obesity, behavioral economics, diet, children
- Medical subject headings
- Obesity
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
DefaultsBehavioural
Participants will receive healthy recipes (3 main meal + 1 snack/breakfast/lunch recipe per week of the two-week intervention). In addition, in this group, participants' online grocery shopping carts will be pre-filled with ingredients corresponding to the provided recipes. They will be told that their cart has been filled with items that can be used to make recipes from the provided recipe cards, and that they can modify it as they like.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1 - Recipes | No intervention | Participants will receive healthy recipes (3 main meal + 1 snack/breakfast/lunch recipe per week of the two-week intervention). |
| Group 2 - Default | Experimental | Participants will receive healthy recipes (3 main meal + 1 snack/breakfast/lunch recipe per week of the two-week intervention). In addition, in this group, participants' online grocery shopping carts will be pre-filled with ingredients corresponding to the provided recipes. They will be told that their cart has been filled with items that can be used to make recipes from the provided recipe cards, and that they can modify it as they like. Receives: Behavioral: Defaults |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Nutritional Quality of Purchases in First Intervention Week
Receipt data from target grocery stores will be entered into nutrition software and used to quantify the number of foods purchased weekly for the household that correspond to Healthy Eating Index (HEI) food groups (e.g., fruits, dark green vegetables). These scores will be operationalized such that higher scores indicate more healthful food purchases aligning with HEI scoring.
Measured: Intervention (Week 3)
Nutritional Quality of Purchases in Second Intervention Week
Receipt data from target grocery stores will be entered into nutrition software and used to quantify the number of foods purchased weekly for the household that correspond to HEI food groups (e.g., fruits, dark green vegetables). These scores will be operationalized such that higher scores indicate more healthful food purchases aligning with HEI scoring.
Measured: Intervention (Week 4)
Change in Nutritional Quality of Purchases
Receipt data from target grocery stores will be entered into nutrition software and used to quantify the number of foods purchased weekly for the household that correspond to HEI food groups (e.g., fruits, dark green vegetables). These scores will be operationalized such that higher scores indicate more healthful food purchases aligning with HEI scoring.
Measured: Baseline (Weeks 1 and 2) and Intervention (Weeks 3 and 4)
Energy Purchased in First Intervention Week
Receipt data from target grocery stores will be entered into nutrition software and used to calculate the total weekly calories purchased from target grocery stores.
Measured: Intervention (Week 3)
Energy Purchased in Second Intervention Week
Receipt data from target grocery stores will be entered into nutrition software and used to calculate the total weekly calories purchased from target grocery stores.
Measured: Intervention (Week 4)
Change in Energy Purchased
Receipt data from target grocery stores will be entered into nutrition software and used to calculate the total weekly calories purchased from all grocery stores.
Measured: Baseline (Weeks 1 and 2) and Intervention (Weeks 3 and 4)
Cost of Groceries in First Intervention Week
Total weekly dollars spent on grocery purchases from submitted receipts from target grocery stores
Measured: Intervention (week 3)
Cost of Groceries in Second Intervention Week
Total weekly dollars spent on grocery purchases from submitted receipts from target grocery stores
Measured: Intervention (week 4)
Change in Cost of Groceries
Total weekly dollars spent on grocery purchases from submitted receipts from target grocery stores
Measured: Baseline (Weeks 1 and 2) and Intervention (Weeks 3 and 4)
Secondary outcomes (4)
Nutritional Quality of Home Food Environment
Data from a home food inventory will be used to create an HEI score based on the presence or absence of foods corresponding to HEI food groups (e.g., fruits, dark green vegetables). These scores will be operationalized such that higher scores indicate more healthful foods present in the home aligning with HEI scoring.
Measured: Intervention (Week 4)
Meals and Meal Intake of Parent
Data from the food photographs will be used to create an HEI score based on the parent's consumption of foods (i.e., whether or not a food was consumed in any amount) which correspond to HEI food groups (e.g., fruits, dark green vegetables). These scores will be operationalized such that higher scores indicate more healthful foods present in the home aligning with HEI scoring.
Measured: Intervention (Week 4)
Meals and Meal Intake of Child
Pre and post-meal photos with descriptions from children will be used to assess what foods are offered and quantify (1) if any of the foods were consumed and (2) the amount consumed (as a percentage) of individual foods offered during each of three dinner meals. Consumption of foods offered will be entered into nutrition software to calculate an estimate of calories consumed.
Measured: Intervention (Week 4)
Nutritional Quality of Child's Intake
Data from the food photographs will be used to create an HEI score based on the child's consumption of foods (i.e., whether or not a food was consumed in any amount) which correspond to HEI food groups (e.g., fruits, dark green vegetables). These scores will be operationalized such that higher scores indicate more healthful foods present in the home aligning with HEI scoring.
Measured: Intervention (Week 4)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted12 Jun 2023
- Study start14 Jun 2023
- Primary completion30 Aug 2024
- Study completion31 Dec 2024
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for ObesityStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by State University of New York at BuffaloThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- 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
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 70 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- State University of New York at Buffalo
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Mackenzie J Ferrante, State University of New York at Buffalo
- Investigators
- Stephanie Anzman-Frasca, PhD, Principal investigator, University at BuffaloMackenzie J Ferrante, PhD, Principal investigator, University at Buffalo
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05899634
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- STUDY00007317
- Acronym
- FGS
- Status last verified
- Aug 2025
- First submitted
- 1 Jun 2023
- Last updated
- 11 Aug 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Anzman-Frasca S, Goldsmith J, Calabro A, Gambino K, Epstein LH, Leone LA, Wallenhorst B, Wilding GE, Ferrante MJ. Effects of an optimal defaults grocery shopping intervention on household grocery purchases of families with young children. Appetite. 2026 Mar 1;218:108397. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2025.108397. Epub 2025 Nov 24.
PubMed 41297859
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 11 Aug 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Family Grocery Pilot: Examining the Use of Optimal Defaults in Online Grocery Shopping Among Families With 2-to-5-year-old Children.
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05899634
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- FGS / STUDY00007317
- Conditions
- Obesity
- Keywords
- grocery shopping, online grocery shopping, obesity, behavioral economics, diet, children
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 70 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- State University of New York at BuffaloUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 14 Jun 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Aug 2024 (actual)
- Study completion
- 31 Dec 2024 (actual)
- First posted
- 12 Jun 2023 (actual)
- 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 obesity epidemic continues to be a major public health concern, impacting nearly one-fifth of US children. One of the most robust predictors of childhood obesity risk is parental obesity and children who are overweight by age 5 are at increased risk for future obesity. A healthful diet is a significant part of preventing overweight and obesity and the home food environment can be a predictor of children's dietary intake. The goal of the proposed pilot study is to examine the feasibility and efficacy of a new family-based approach to early childhood obesity prevention, using optimal defaults in the form of pre-filled, default online grocery shopping carts to promote healthier grocery shopping among families with young children at risk for obesity, potentially influencing the home food environment and dietary intake.
Detailed description
The goal of the proposed pilot study is to examine the feasibility and efficacy of a new family-based approach to early childhood obesity prevention, using optimal defaults in the form of pre-filled, default online grocery shopping carts to promote healthier grocery shopping among families with young children at risk for obesity. The specific aims are to: (1) test the feasibility and efficacy of a Defaults grocery shopping intervention designed to promote healthier grocery purchases among families with obesity, and (2) test effects of this intervention on the home food environment and dietary intake. To do this a randomized controlled intervention study has been designed, in which all study participants will receive 3 healthy recipes each week of a two-week intervention period, and intervention group will have their online grocery shopping carts pre-filled with corresponding ingredients.
Families who already grocery shop online and who have a 2-to-5-year-old child at home who is at increased obesity risk based on parental weight status will be randomly assigned to the intervention (Defaults) or control (Recipes) group. At baseline, all participants will complete a survey online and then will grocery shop as usual for two weeks. The baseline period will also serve as a run-in period, and participants who do not comply with study guidelines for baseline procedures will not be randomized for further participation. Participants will then be randomized and enter a two-week intervention period. During this period, all participants will be given recipe cards (3 main meal recipes + 1 snack/breakfast recipe each week), featuring healthful, budget friendly meals developed by dietitians. The Recipes group will continue to grocery shop as normal. The Defaults group will have their online shopping carts pre-filled with the study recipe ingredients. They will be told their cart has been filled with those items that could be used to make the healthful recipes on the recipe cards given to them. They may modify their carts as they choose. It is hypothesized that the Defaults group will have weekly grocery purchases with greater nutritional quality and lower energy content, compared to the Recipes group. It is hypothesized that the Defaults group will also have a home food environment with a greater nutritional quality score than the Recipes (via the Healthy Eating Index). Dietary intake of parents and children in the Defaults group will also have a higher nutritional quality, compared to the Recipes group, as indicated by food photography during 3 dinner meals during the intervention period.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1 - Recipes | No intervention | –Participants will receive healthy recipes (3 main meal + 1 snack/breakfast/lunch recipe per week of the two-week intervention). |
| Group 2 - Default | Experimental | Behavioral: DefaultsParticipants will receive healthy recipes (3 main meal + 1 snack/breakfast/lunch recipe per week of the two-week intervention). In addition, in this group, participants' online grocery shopping carts will be pre-filled with ingredients corresponding to the provided recipes. They will be told that their cart has been filled with items that can be used to make recipes from the provided recipe cards, and that they can modify it as they like. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Participating parent/guardian must be at least 18 years old
- Must have a 2-to-5-year-old child in the household
- Must grocery shop online (via Instacart) from Tops, Wegmans, and/or Aldi stores at least 75% of the time
- Child must have at least one parent/guardian meeting criteria for overweight/obesity (BMI >25)
- Must speak English
Key exclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Parent/guardian is under 18 years of age
- Does not have at least one 2-to-5-year-old child living in the household
- Does not shop online at Tops, Wegmans, and/or Aldi stores at least 75% of the time
- Child does not have at least one parent/guardian meeting criteria for overweight/obesity
- Does not speak English
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 |
|---|---|---|
| DefaultsParticipants will receive healthy recipes (3 main meal + 1 snack/breakfast/lunch recipe per week of the two-week intervention). In addition, in this group, participants' online grocery shopping carts will be pre-filled with ingredients corresponding to the provided recipes. They will be told that their cart has been filled with items that can be used to make recipes from the provided recipe cards, and that they can modify it as they like. | Behavioural | Group 2 - Default |
Primary outcome
Nutritional Quality of Purchases in First Intervention Week
Time frame: Intervention (Week 3)
Receipt data from target grocery stores will be entered into nutrition software and used to quantify the number of foods purchased weekly for the household that correspond to Healthy Eating Index (HEI) food groups (e.g., fruits, dark green vegetables). These scores will be operationalized such that higher scores indicate more healthful food purchases aligning with HEI scoring.
Nutritional Quality of Purchases in Second Intervention Week
Time frame: Intervention (Week 4)
Receipt data from target grocery stores will be entered into nutrition software and used to quantify the number of foods purchased weekly for the household that correspond to HEI food groups (e.g., fruits, dark green vegetables). These scores will be operationalized such that higher scores indicate more healthful food purchases aligning with HEI scoring.
Change in Nutritional Quality of Purchases
Time frame: Baseline (Weeks 1 and 2) and Intervention (Weeks 3 and 4)
Receipt data from target grocery stores will be entered into nutrition software and used to quantify the number of foods purchased weekly for the household that correspond to HEI food groups (e.g., fruits, dark green vegetables). These scores will be operationalized such that higher scores indicate more healthful food purchases aligning with HEI scoring.
Energy Purchased in First Intervention Week
Time frame: Intervention (Week 3)
Receipt data from target grocery stores will be entered into nutrition software and used to calculate the total weekly calories purchased from target grocery stores.
Energy Purchased in Second Intervention Week
Time frame: Intervention (Week 4)
Receipt data from target grocery stores will be entered into nutrition software and used to calculate the total weekly calories purchased from target grocery stores.
Change in Energy Purchased
Time frame: Baseline (Weeks 1 and 2) and Intervention (Weeks 3 and 4)
Receipt data from target grocery stores will be entered into nutrition software and used to calculate the total weekly calories purchased from all grocery stores.
Cost of Groceries in First Intervention Week
Time frame: Intervention (week 3)
Total weekly dollars spent on grocery purchases from submitted receipts from target grocery stores
Cost of Groceries in Second Intervention Week
Time frame: Intervention (week 4)
Total weekly dollars spent on grocery purchases from submitted receipts from target grocery stores
Change in Cost of Groceries
Time frame: Baseline (Weeks 1 and 2) and Intervention (Weeks 3 and 4)
Total weekly dollars spent on grocery purchases from submitted receipts from target grocery stores
4 secondary outcomes
Nutritional Quality of Home Food Environment
Time frame: Intervention (Week 4)
Meals and Meal Intake of Parent
Time frame: Intervention (Week 4)
Meals and Meal Intake of Child
Time frame: Intervention (Week 4)
Nutritional Quality of Child's Intake
Time frame: Intervention (Week 4)
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 11 Aug 2025.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 41297859Anzman-Frasca S, Goldsmith J, Calabro A, Gambino K, Epstein LH, Leone LA, Wallenhorst B, Wilding GE, Ferrante MJ. Effects of an optimal defaults grocery shopping intervention on household grocery purchases of families with young children. Appetite. 2026 Mar 1;218:108397. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2025.108397. Epub 2025 Nov 24.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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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.
Stephanie Anzman-Frasca, PhD principal investigator
University at Buffalo
Mackenzie J Ferrante, PhD principal investigator
University at Buffalo
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Defaults in people with Obesity, run by State University of New York at Buffalo 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 5 inclusion and 6 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 11 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?
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?
Nutritional Quality of Purchases in First Intervention Week (time frame: Intervention (Week 3)). The study lists 9 primary outcomes in all. 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 NCT05899634, which also lists 1 linked publication.
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 11 Aug 2025.