Optimization Trial to Empower sElection of Nutritious Foods
OPT-TEEN
OPT-TEEN: Optimization Trial to Empower sElection of Nutritious Foods
1 other identifier
interventional
200
0 countries
N/A
Brief Summary
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) disproportionately affects Black and Hispanic youth compared to their White peers. Although prediabetes can rapidly progress, youth who maintain or lose weight are able to revert the condition. Youth-led online Diabetes Prevention Programs (DPP) show promise for improving healthy behaviors, but alone does not address systemic barriers, such as affordability, availability, and accessibility of healthy foods, hindering adoption of lifestyle changes. Low-income Black and Hispanic youth are more likely to live in communities with low access to affordable and healthy foods, that protect against T2D. Online grocery shopping has the potential to improve access by addressing transportation barriers. However, delivery fees and digital literacy may unintentionally widen inequities. To address these gaps, this proposal will leverage existing national programs (USDA's Online Purchasing Pilot and online-DPP) to test three experimental components (Youth-led Online DPP, Financial Incentive, Instant Shoppable List). This work will aim to 1) conduct formative research to gather barriers, facilitators of fruit, vegetable, and legume (FVL) purchase and consumption among ethnically diverse, low-income families with youth (12-17 years old); 2) determine the combination of intervention components that maximizes the effect on household purchase and youth consumption of FVL and sugar. A multiphase optimization strategy (MOST) on a 23 factorial randomized, controlled study will estimate both individual and interactive effects of each intervention component. This research will generate new knowledge about behavioral, social, cultural, environmental, and policy factors that influence healthy eating, which can be used to address disparities in obesity and T2D among low-income youth.
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach
participants targeted
Target at P75+ for not_applicable
Started Jan 2027
Longer than P75 for not_applicable
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
First Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
August 20, 2026
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
September 11, 2026
CompletedStudy Start
First participant enrolled
January 1, 2027
ExpectedPrimary Completion
Last participant's last visit for primary outcome
December 31, 2028
Study Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
December 31, 2030
September 11, 2026
June 1, 2026
2 years
August 20, 2026
September 10, 2026
Conditions
Keywords
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcomes (1)
Household Purchase of Fruit, Vegetable, and Legumes
Change in household purchase of fruits, vegetables, and legumes (online and in-store) from baseline will be assessed via itemized grocery receipts obtained via text messages mid-intervention (6-week), post-intervention (12-week), and maintenance (12 months).
6 weeks, 12 weeks, and 12 months
Secondary Outcomes (2)
Youth Consumption of Fruit, Vegetable, and Legumes
12 weeks and 12 months
Parent/Caregiver Consumption of Fruit, Vegetable, and Legumes
12 weeks
Other Outcomes (1)
Body Mass Index
12 weeks
Study Arms (8)
Youth-led Wellness Group + Financial Incentive + Shoppable List
EXPERIMENTALOnline grocery delivery fee waiver, a monthly one-time use service fee waiver (3 in total), a monthly one-time use $5 stipend (3 in total) and a tutorial video addressing digital literacy will be constant components, meaning that it will be available to all participants in the study. Plus: 1) youth will participate in an online peer-led advocacy group focused on health promotion; 2) weekly match-up to $10 as a financial incentive for purchasing FVL online targeting loss aversion; 3) weekly instant shoppable grocery lists of culturally tailored meal suggestions using SNAP recipes targeted at impulse purchases.
Youth-led Wellness Program + Financial Incentive
EXPERIMENTALOnline grocer delivery fee waiver, a monthly one-time use service fee waiver (3 in total), a monthly one-time use $5 stipend (3 in total) and a tutorial video addressing digital literacy will be constant components, meaning that it will be available to all participants in the study. Plus: 1) youth will participate in an online peer-led advocacy group focused on health promotion; 2) weekly match-up to $10 as a financial incentive for purchasing FVL online targeting loss aversion;
Youth-led Wellness Program
EXPERIMENTALOnline grocer delivery fee waive, a monthly one-time use service fee waiver (3 in total), a monthly one-time use $5 stipend (3 in total) and a tutorial video addressing digital literacy will be constant components, meaning that it will be available to all participants in the study. Plus: 1) youth will participate in an online peer-led advocacy group focused on health promotion.
Financial Incentive + Shoppable List
EXPERIMENTALOnline grocer delivery fee waiver, a monthly one-time use service fee waiver (3 in total), a monthly one-time use $5 stipend (3 in total) and a tutorial video addressing digital literacy will be constant components, meaning that it will be available to all participants in the study. Plus: 1) weekly match-up to $10 as a financial incentive for purchasing FVL online targeting loss aversion; 2) weekly instant shoppable grocery lists of culturally tailored meal suggestions using SNAP recipes targeted at impulse purchases.
Youth-led Wellness Program + Shoppable List
EXPERIMENTALOnline grocer delivery fee waiver, a monthly one-time use service fee waiver (3 in total), a monthly one-time use $5 stipend (3 in total) and a tutorial video addressing digital literacy will be constant components, meaning that it will be available to all participants in the study. Plus: 1) youth will participate in an online peer-led advocacy group focused on health promotion; 2) weekly instant shoppable grocery lists of culturally tailored meal suggestions using SNAP recipes targeted at impulse purchases.
Shoppable List
EXPERIMENTALOnline grocer delivery fee waiver, a monthly one-time use service fee waiver (3 in total), a monthly one-time use $5 stipend (3 in total) and a tutorial video addressing digital literacy will be constant components, meaning that it will be available to all participants in the study. Plus: 1) weekly instant shoppable grocery lists of culturally tailored meal suggestions using SNAP recipes targeted at impulse purchases.
Financial Incentive
EXPERIMENTALOnline grocer delivery fee waiver, a monthly one-time use service fee waiver (3 in total), a monthly one-time use $5 stipend (3 in total) and a tutorial video addressing digital literacy will be constant components, meaning that it will be available to all participants in the study. Plus: 1) weekly match-up to $10 as a financial incentive for purchasing FVL online targeting loss aversion.
Delivery fee waived only
ACTIVE COMPARATOROnline grocer delivery fee waiver, a monthly one-time use service fee waiver (3 in total), a monthly one-time use $5 stipend (3 in total) and a tutorial video addressing digital literacy will be constant components, meaning that it will be available to all participants in the study.
Interventions
At the onset of the intervention, all participants will receive tutorial videos via text, covering Instacart account setup, online item selection, and SNAP-eligible stores, aiming to improve digital literacy in grocery shopping. The video was developed by the research team, reviewed by SNAP-Ed partners, and available in English and Spanish. Despite being considered helpful during the pilot, nearly half of the participants reported not receiving or watching the tutorial video. To address this, the research team will call all participants within the trial's first week to provide technical assistance, including step-by-step instructions on redemption of the free delivery membership. Phone follow-ups were well-received during the pilot. Also, an intervention package will be mailed to all participants as material to be referred to in the calls and throughout the intervention.
All participants will receive a 12-week Instacart+ Membership e-gift card, a monthly one-time use service fee waiver (3 in total) and a monthly one-time use $5 stipend (3 in total) eliminating the online delivery fee for orders \>$10.
The participants who are 12 to 17 years of age and are randomized to this component will participate in an online WhatsApp peer-led advocacy group focused on health promotion. Over the 12 weeks, different themes will be covered on a weekly basis with participants receiving engagement prompts 2 to 3 times a week and weekly activities with the aim to increase knowledge and self-efficacy, fostering sustainable behavior change in nutritional habits. All messages and activities are evidence-based and use the Social Cognitive Theory Model.
Participants randomized to this component (alone or in combination with another experimental condition) will receive $1 for each dollar spent on fresh, frozen, or canned FVL loaded onto Instacart Fresh Funds, verified based on the submitted online grocery receipt or data from Instacart. The incentive applies to online purchases only and will not be earned for in-store transactions. A maximum weekly matched incentive will be set to $10, following the local FV incentive NYC ("Get the Good Stuff"). Fresh Funds earned, supported by Instacart Health, is an infrastructure integrated with retailer payment systems. Incentives will only be used for purchases of healthier foods (FVL) predetermined by the research team, as it has been used by FV prescription programs.
Participants randomized to this component will receive weekly SNAP-Ed-based meal plans with instant shoppable grocery lists tailored to household size, dietary, and cultural preferences. All recipes will emphasize FVL-based eating patterns with Hispanic cuisine influences that have FVL as primary ingredients. Grocery lists organized by store department and recipe, will reflect the nearest available in-store unit. For example, if one recipe calls for 1 cup of flour, a small flour bag will be added to the list. Weekly meal plans will be shared via text as a photo and mailed as hard copies, with instant shoppable lists generated through Instacart's List feature as a hyperlink. Links to the instant shoppable list will be shared via text. Upon clicking, grocery items will be pre-filled automatically in the participant's online shopping cart. Participants can modify items and quantities before checking out.
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if:
- Adult (\> 21 years old)
- Live in a household with a young child(ren) under the age of 18 years and above age 12
- Youth must be 12 to 17 and at-risk for Type 2 Diabetes
- Primary shopper for the household
- Have access to a smartphone or computer to place online orders
- Participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in the past year or income eligible (annual household income =\< 130% of the federal poverty line)
- Agree to share itemized grocery receipts during the study (12 months)
- Willing to order groceries online
- English or Spanish speaker
- Informed consent
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
Sponsors & Collaborators
Study Officials
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Angela Trude, PhD
New York University
Central Study Contacts
Study Design
- Study Type
- interventional
- Phase
- not applicable
- Allocation
- RANDOMIZED
- Masking
- DOUBLE
- Who Masked
- INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
- Purpose
- PREVENTION
- Intervention Model
- FACTORIAL
- Sponsor Type
- OTHER
- Responsible Party
- SPONSOR
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
August 20, 2026
First Posted
September 11, 2026
Study Start (Estimated)
January 1, 2027
Primary Completion (Estimated)
December 31, 2028
Study Completion (Estimated)
December 31, 2030
Last Updated
September 11, 2026
Record last verified: 2026-06
Data Sharing
- IPD Sharing
- Will not share
At this time, there are no plans to share IPD due to limitations related to participant privacy, the sensitive nature of the data collected, and constraints in the informed consent process that do not allow for broad data sharing. While the investigators support data transparency, any future sharing would require additional ethical review and participant re-consent to ensure privacy protections are upheld.