Grocery Assistance Program Study for Families

NCT03363048 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: STUDY00002037
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 646
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

An experimental trial will be conducted whereby a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)-like food benefit program will be implemented in 240 SNAP eligible households. Baseline and follow up measures will include three 24-hour dietary recalls; household food purchase receipt collection; and household food security questions. The individual level measures will be collected from the adult most responsible for food shopping and a child in the household. After baseline measures are completed households will be randomized to one of three conditions: 1) restriction (not allowed to buy sugar sweetened beverages, sweet baked goods, or candies with food benefits); 2) restriction paired with an incentive (30% financial incentive on fruits and vegetables and restriction of purchase of sugar sweetened beverages, sweet baked goods, or candy with food benefits); or 3) control (no incentive or restrictions). Households in all conditions will be given a debit card that will have funds added monthly for a five month period. The dollar amount placed on the card monthly will be similar to the amount the household would receive if enrolled in SNAP. All participants will be instructed to use the debit card for food purchases only, and they'll be told they shouldn't use the card to purchase items currently non-eligible for purchase with SNAP benefits (e.g. alcohol, food from restaurants). Those in the restriction condition will also be told they cannot use the card to buy sugar sweetened beverages, sweet baked goods, or candies. They may purchase these foods using their own money, but not the debit card. Those in the restriction plus incentive condition will receive the instructions provided to the restriction group plus they will be told that they'll receive a 30% bonus for fruits and vegetables purchased using their debit card. Analyses will determine whether the nutritional quality of the diet at follow-up differs between experimental groups.

Conditions

Nutritional Quality; Food Insecurity; Food Legislation; Healthy Diet; Food Stamp Program

Keywords

Food restrictions/incentives; Food Stamp program; Policy change; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Overall Nutritional Quality as measured by the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015 score

  Overall Nutritional Quality obtained from average intake of three dietary recalls at both baseline and follow-up.

  18 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Total Energy Intake

  18 weeks

• Scores of 3 components (whole fruits, total vegetable, and added sugar) of the HEI-2015

  18 weeks

• Household food insecurity

  18 weeks

Study Arms (3)

Restricted

EXPERIMENTAL

Behavioral: Restricted

Restriction plus Incentive

EXPERIMENTAL

Behavioral: Restriction plus Incentive

Control

NO INTERVENTION

Interventions

Restricted BEHAVIORAL

Certain foods and beverages are not allowed to be purchased with food benefit dollars.

Restricted

Restriction plus Incentive BEHAVIORAL

Certain foods and beverages are not allowed to be purchased with food benefit dollars; 30% of the total dollars spent toward the purchase of certain foods result are added to their food benefit dollars.

Restriction plus Incentive

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 3 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• SNAP-eligible household
• at least one child between the ages of 3-11
• Less than or equal to 6 people in the household
• Primary food shopper
• Ability and willingness to collect and submit household food purchase receipts for 22 weeks
• Willingness to attend two study visits
• willingness to complete three dietary recalls at both baseline and follow-up
• not planning to apply for SNAP in the next 5 months
• ability to speak and understand either Spanish or English

You may not qualify if:

• households that are not SNAP-eligible
• no children in household between the ages of 3-11
• not primary food shopper
• or more people in household
• inability to collect and submit household food purchase receipts for 22 weeks
• unwillingness to comply with study measures
• inability to speak or understand Spanish or English
• planning on applying for SNAP within the next 5 months.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Minnesota: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Minnesota, School of Public Health, Division of Epidemiology & Community Health

Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55454, United States

Location

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: FACTORIAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 29, 2017
• First Posted: December 5, 2017
• Study Start: May 2, 2018
• Primary Completion: October 6, 2019
• Study Completion: October 6, 2019
• Last Updated: November 10, 2020

Record last verified: 2020-11

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ICF, ANALYTIC CODE
• Time Frame: Data will be made available upon publication of the primary outcomes manuscript and will be posted indefinitely.

Locations

US (1)