Behavioral Economics to Implement a Traffic Light Nutrition Ranking System: Study 2
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Behavioral economics-enhanced SWAP implementation, Basic SWAP implementation.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Food Insecurity, Implementation Science, Diet, Healthy, Behavioral Economics. Basic parameters: 18 years — 90 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- United States
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
Behavioral Economics to Implement a Traffic Light Nutrition Ranking System in a Network of Food Pantries: Study 2
Overview
This is a cluster randomized controlled trial of 30 food pantries affiliated with the Greater Boston Food Bank to test the use of behavioral economics (BE) tools to encourage food pantries to implement the Supporting Wellness at Pantries (SWAP) program, with the goal of fostering accurate use of SWAP traffic light labels on pantry shelves and increasing the healthfulness of foods chosen by pantry clients. Primary outcomes will be assessed at 6 and 12 months to compare the implementation and effectiveness of the SWAP program in the intervention vs. control pantries.
Detailed description
This study will test the use of behavioral economics (BE) tools to encourage food pantries to implement the Supporting Wellness at Pantries (SWAP) program, with the goal of encouraging pantries to use SWAP traffic light labels on pantry shelves and increase the healthfulness of foods chosen by pantry clients. The study design is a 12-month cluster RCT of 30 Greater Boston Food Bank partner pantries comparing a basic SWAP implementation strategy (control, n=15) with a BE-enhanced SWAP implementation strategy (intervention, n=15). Primary outcomes assessed at 6 and 12 months will be implementation of the SWAP program within pantries and improvement of client food choices and dietary quality. At the end of 12 months, the BE-enhanced SWAP implementation strategy will be adapted, updated, and offered to the 15 pantries assigned to control (waitlist) at baseline. The 15 intervention pantries will be followed without further intervention.
Interventions
- Behavioral Behavioral economics-enhanced SWAP implementation
Intervention will include behavioral nudges at baseline and over 12 months to promote use of the SWAP nutrition program for pantries. - Behavioral Basic SWAP implementation
Intervention will include basic information about the SWAP program and encouragement to obtain SWAP toolkits.
Primary outcome measures
- Pantry SWAP implementation [Time frame: 6 months and 12 months]
- Percent items (by weight) ordered by pantry that are labeled green or red [Time frame: 6 months and 12 months]
- Percent of pantry clients' selected food that is green or red [Time frame: 6 months and 12 months]
- Client dietary quality score [Time frame: 6 months and 12 months]
Secondary outcome measures (1)
- Skin carotenoid level [Time frame: 6 months and 12 months]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Food pantries enrolled in the study will be partner agencies of the Greater Boston Food Bank that are maximum client choice, are located within approximately 1 hour driving time of Boston (for logistical feasibility), and are not actively using traffic-light nutrition ranking.
- Food pantry clients that complete assessments must be 18 years or older and speak English or Spanish.
Exclusion criteria
- Food pantries that are not affiliated with the Greater Boston Food Bank and are not maximum client choice.
- Food pantry clients that do not speak English or Spanish.
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: Yes
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Open label
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
Study locations
United States · 1 center
- Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston
Publications
- Perez PD, Faulkner KC, Wu Y, Schwartz MB, Caspi C, Burgun R, Ortiz L, Jia J, Cheng J, Chang Y, Levy DE, Thorndike AN. Behavioural economics intervention to implement a nutrition ranking system in food pantries: Be Well cluster randomised controlled trial protocol. BMJ Public Health. 2025 Dec 30;3(2):e003650. doi: 10.1136/bmjph-2025-003650. eCollection 2025. PMID 41496767
Identifiers
NCT: NCT06298253 · 2024P000832