Multi-level Communications and Access Strategies to Improve the Food Environment
BHRR
1 other identifier
interventional
444
1 country
1
Brief Summary
The overarching goal of B'More Healthy Retail Rewards (BHRR) is to develop, implement, and evaluate a pilot multi-level communications and pricing intervention to improve access to and consumption of healthy foods in low-income areas of Baltimore City, Maryland. BHRR has three primary aims: (1) to conduct formative research with representatives of multiple levels of the Baltimore food environment (i.e., local wholesalers, retail food store owners, and consumers) in order to select key foods for promotion, and determine appropriate communications and healthy food price reduction strategies, (2) to pilot the multi-level program with 2 local wholesale stores, and 24 small corner stores and their customers, and assess program implementation through detailed process evaluation, and (3) to assess impact of multilevel health communications and pricing strategies, combined and separately, on consumer dietary patterns and food source use, food purchasing behaviors, psychosocial variables, food security, and individual weight and height.
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach
participants targeted
Target at P75+ for not_applicable obesity
Started Mar 2012
1 active site
Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.
Trial Relationships
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Study Timeline
Key milestones and dates
Study Start
First participant enrolled
March 1, 2012
CompletedFirst Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
February 18, 2014
CompletedPrimary Completion
Last participant's last visit for primary outcome
March 1, 2014
CompletedStudy Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
March 1, 2014
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
October 31, 2014
CompletedMarch 27, 2018
March 1, 2018
2 years
February 18, 2014
March 25, 2018
Conditions
Keywords
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcomes (1)
Healthy food purchasing and related-psychosocial factors
We analyzed the average change in consumer purchase of promoted foods and related consumer psychosocial variables across treatment groups from baseline and post-intervention by examine intervention effects by analyzing the change variable obtained by subtracting the pretest score from post-test score (exploratory analysis); and 2) conduct confirmatory testing of intervention effects using ANOVA and mixed models.
Up to 8 months
Secondary Outcomes (1)
Consumer dietary intake and consumption of promoted foods
Up to 8 months
Other Outcomes (6)
Store owner psychosocial variables to stock/sell promoted foods
Up to 8 months
Sales of promoted foods
Up to 8 months
Consumer Body Mass Index (BMI)
Up to 11 months
- +3 more other outcomes
Study Arms (4)
Communications
EXPERIMENTALThese 6 stores received the communications intervention. Communications materials were developed for each program phase; 1) Healthier Drinks, 2) Healthier Essentials, and 3) Healthier Snacks. Each phase's materials included posters, recipe cards, educational handouts, shelf talkers, price tags, door signs, educational displays, and promotional giveaways (i.e., drink tumblers, re-usable shopping bags) to encourage healthy food purchasing and consumption. Stores receiving the communications intervention also received either a small refrigerator or freezer to help provide the environmental supports needed to stock perishable fruits and vegetables.
Control
NO INTERVENTIONThese 6 stores received no intervention.
Pricing
EXPERIMENTALThese 6 stores received a pricing intervention. 10-30% with discounts for specific foods contingent on price elasticity of demand, initial wholesale price, and projected store-level sales. Items were given the minimum discount needed to increase store supply and consumer demand. For example, brand name frozen vegetables were discounted 30% at the wholesaler, in order to provide the storeowner with enough incentive to stock the item. The % discount passed from the storeowner to the consumer was ultimately a decision made by the storeowner, but was suggested to be at least 50% in order to increase consumer demand. Discounts were automatically applied at wholesaler registers to stores receiving the pricing intervention.
Combined (Communications & Pricing)
EXPERIMENTALThese 6 stores received communications materials as well as pricing incentives as intervention (see Communications \& Pricing Arms Descriptions).
Interventions
Communication materials were used to promote healthier items to consumers in corner stores.
Communications with Pricing incentives were used to promote the sale/consumption of healthier foods.
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if:
- yrs of age and a regular customer at participating corner store.
You may not qualify if:
- Under 21 years of age and not a regular customer of participating store.
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
Sponsors & Collaborators
Study Sites (1)
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, United States
Related Publications (1)
Budd N, Cuccia A, Jeffries JK, Prasad D, Frick KD, Powell L, Katz FA, Gittelsohn J. B'More Healthy: Retail Rewards--design of a multi-level communications and pricing intervention to improve the food environment in Baltimore City. BMC Public Health. 2015 Mar 24;15:283. doi: 10.1186/s12889-015-1616-6.
PMID: 25885923DERIVED
Related Links
MeSH Terms
Conditions
Interventions
Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Study Design
- Study Type
- interventional
- Phase
- not applicable
- Allocation
- RANDOMIZED
- Masking
- NONE
- Purpose
- PREVENTION
- Intervention Model
- FACTORIAL
- Sponsor Type
- OTHER
- Responsible Party
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
- PI Title
- Professor
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
February 18, 2014
First Posted
October 31, 2014
Study Start
March 1, 2012
Primary Completion
March 1, 2014
Study Completion
March 1, 2014
Last Updated
March 27, 2018
Record last verified: 2018-03