Fast Food Online Delivery Purchase Behaviour in the Presence and Absence of Price-based Incentives
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: Experimental, Control.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Food Purchases, Eating Behaviour. Basic parameters: from 18 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 Kingdom
- 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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Overview
Consumption of out-of-home (OOH) food is associated with significantly greater energy and less-healthy nutrient (i.e. fats, salt and sugar) intake. The price of food is a key consideration of food choice, particularly for individuals of lower socioeconomic position (SEP). Little research to date has examined the causal effect of removing price-based incentives on purchasing behaviour in OOH food settings. One online randomised controlled trial explored the effect of removing three types of price-based incentives individually and in combination, on food choice through a virtual food delivery platform. This study found that energy selection was 7-8% lower when price incentives were removed. While not statistically significant, Bayes factors indicted that data comparing control vs "all promotions removed" conditions were inconclusive (BF10 = 0.55) and therefore could not provide support for the alternative or null hypotheses. A limitation of this study is that the outcome was hypothetical food choice. As participants would not pay for or receive their selected meals, the prices of foods may have been less salient, thus reducing the potential for impact. In the present study, exploring real-world consumer behaviour (as opposed to hypothetical choice) will better determine the potential impact of removing price-based incentives in the OOH food sector.
Detailed description
See attached study protocol for detailed information
Interventions
- Behavioral Experimental
Food menus will provided with all three types of price promotions removed - Behavioral Control
Participants will be asked to select a meal from a pizza outlet with all price-based incentives present (value pricing, price reductions, bulk-buy incentives).
Primary outcome measures
- Energy consumed per household member [Time frame: The morning after food orders are placed.]
Secondary outcome measures (2)
- Total monetary spend per household member [Time frame: Immediately after food choice]
- Energy content per household member [Time frame: Immediately after food choice]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Able to order and pay for a takeaway pizza for delivery today or tomorrow
- Currently reside in select postcode areas
- Manchester (M13 store): M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M11, M12, M13, M14, M15, M16, M18, M19
- Liverpool (L3 store): L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, L8, L13, L15
- Birmingham (B27 store): B9, B10, B11, B12, B13, B25, B26, B27, B28, B33, B90, B91, B92
- Over the age of 18 years
- Report having used food delivery services in the last year
Exclusion criteria
- Partaking in a fast or other restrictive eating (e.g. for religious or health reasons) at time of participation
- A previous eating disorder diagnosis
- Currently on appetite-suppressing medication
- Dietary restrictions/intolerances including:
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
- Sugar-free
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
- Double blind
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
Study locations
United Kingdom · 1 center
- University of Liverpool — Liverpool
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07368881 · Pizza promotions study · ES/W007932/1