NCT02643576

Brief Summary

This highly innovative experimental trial is designed to examine the independent and joint effects of prohibiting the use of SNAP-like benefits to purchase foods high in discretionary calories and offering an incentive to encourage the purchase of more healthful foods.

Trial Health

87
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
296

participants targeted

Target at P75+ for not_applicable

Timeline
Completed

Started Apr 2013

Typical duration for not_applicable

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
completed

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Start

First participant enrolled

April 1, 2013

Completed
1.7 years until next milestone

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

December 22, 2014

Completed
4 months until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

May 1, 2015

Completed
8 months until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

December 31, 2015

Completed
2 months until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

March 1, 2016

Completed
Last Updated

October 24, 2017

Status Verified

October 1, 2017

Enrollment Period

2.1 years

First QC Date

December 22, 2014

Last Update Submit

October 20, 2017

Conditions

Food Assistance

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (5)

  • Change from baseline in Total Kilocalorie intake at 16 weeks

    Evaluate the independent and joint effects on dietary intake of prohibiting the use of SNAP benefits to purchase foods high in discretionary calories and offering an incentive to encourage the purchase of more nutritious foods.

    16 weeks

  • Change from baseline in reported levels of household food security at 16 weeks

    Assessing any change from baseline in the score of the The U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module: Six-Item Short Form

    16 weeks

  • Change from baseline in Healthy Eating Index (HEI) Score at 16 weeks

    Evaluate the independent and joint effects on dietary intake of prohibiting the use of SNAP benefits to purchase foods high in discretionary calories and offering an incentive to encourage the purchase of more nutritious foods. More information about the HEI score can be found here: http://nccor.org/projects/hei/

    16 weeks

  • Change from baseline in daily servings of fruits and vegetable (added together) at 16 weeks

    Evaluate the independent and joint effects on dietary intake of prohibiting the use of SNAP benefits to purchase foods high in discretionary calories and offering an incentive to encourage the purchase of more nutritious foods. Servings of fruits and servings of vegetables are calculated from the output provided by NDS-R, which are based on the reported food intake as collected via 24-hour dietary recalls. Three recalls are collected at baseline and averaged; three recalls are collected at follow-up and averaged.

    16 weeks

  • Change from baseline in daily total, in grams, of added sugars at 16 weeks

    Evaluate the independent and joint effects on dietary intake of prohibiting the use of SNAP benefits to purchase foods high in discretionary calories and offering an incentive to encourage the purchase of more nutritious foods.

    16 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (1)

  • Change from baseline in Body Mass Index

    16 weeks

Study Arms (4)

Control

NO INTERVENTION

Usual SNAP-like food benefits

Rewards

EXPERIMENTAL

Usual SNAP-like food benefits, plus a modification to this food benefit program that entails a 30% bonus on eligible fruit and vegetable purchases (i.e. F\&V bonus)

Behavioral: F&V Bonus

Restrictions

EXPERIMENTAL

Usual SNAP-like food benefits, plus a modification that requires no sugar-sweetened beverages, candy, or sweet baked goods be purchased

Behavioral: Restriction

Rewards plus restrictions

EXPERIMENTAL

Usual SNAP-like food benefits, plus two modifications to this food benefit program: one modification includes a 30% bonus on eligible fruit and vegetable purchases and the other modification is that sugar-sweetened beverages, candy, or sweet baked goods are not allowed to be purchased (i.e. Bonus \& Restriction)

Behavioral: Bonus & Restriction

Interventions

F&V BonusBEHAVIORAL

To examine the independent effect of offering an incentive (i.e. bonus dollars for fruit and vegetable purchases) to SNAP-like benefits to encourage the purchase of more healthful foods

Rewards
RestrictionBEHAVIORAL

To examine the independent effect of prohibiting the use of SNAP-like benefits to purchase foods high in discretionary calories (i.e.sugar-sweetened beverages, candy, or sweet baked goods) on food purchases and diet quality

Restrictions
Bonus & RestrictionBEHAVIORAL

To examine the joint effects of prohibiting the use of SNAP benefits to purchase foods high in discretionary calories and offering an incentive to encourage the purchase of more healthful foods

Rewards plus restrictions

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years+
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersYes
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • ≥ 18 years of age
  • Primary food shopper of household
  • Not currently participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
  • Not planning to apply for SNAP in the next 4 months
  • Able to read and write in English
  • ≤ 8 people living in household
  • Have a gross monthly income level that places the household at or below 200 percent of the Federal poverty level for their household size.

You may not qualify if:

  • \< 18 years of age
  • Not primary food shopper of household
  • Currently participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
  • Planning to apply for SNAP in the next 4 months
  • Unable to read and write in English
  • \> 8 people living in household
  • Have a gross monthly income level that places the household above 200 percent of the Federal poverty level for their household size

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

University of Minnesota School of Public Health

Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55454, United States

Location

Related Publications (3)

  • Valluri S, Mason SM, Peterson HH, French SA, Harnack LJ. The impact of financial incentives and restrictions on cyclical food expenditures among low-income households receiving nutrition assistance: a randomized controlled trial. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2021 Dec 4;18(1):157. doi: 10.1186/s12966-021-01223-7.

    PMID: 34863192DERIVED

  • French SA, Rydell SA, Mitchell NR, Michael Oakes J, Elbel B, Harnack L. Financial incentives and purchase restrictions in a food benefit program affect the types of foods and beverages purchased: results from a randomized trial. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2017 Sep 16;14(1):127. doi: 10.1186/s12966-017-0585-9.

    PMID: 28915844DERIVED

  • Harnack L, Oakes JM, Elbel B, Beatty T, Rydell S, French S. Effects of Subsidies and Prohibitions on Nutrition in a Food Benefit Program: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2016 Nov 1;176(11):1610-1618. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.5633.

    PMID: 27653735DERIVED

Related Links

Study Officials

  • Lisa J Harnack, DrPH

    University of Minnesota

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
SINGLE
Who Masked
PARTICIPANT
Purpose
BASIC SCIENCE
Intervention Model
FACTORIAL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

December 22, 2014

First Posted

December 31, 2015

Study Start

April 1, 2013

Primary Completion

May 1, 2015

Study Completion

March 1, 2016

Last Updated

October 24, 2017

Record last verified: 2017-10

Locations

US(1)