SEP and the Impact of Price on Food Selection in a Simulated Food Delivery App

University of Liverpool

Status: Completed

Conditions: Food Selection; Healthy Eating; Eating Behavior

Treatments: Behavioral: Control; Behavioral: Price reduction on healthier foods; Behavioral: Combination of price reduction on healthier foods and price increase on less healthy foods; Behavioral: Price increase to less healthy foods

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06468501

Food Delivery Study

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this randomised controlled trial is to compare taxation with subsidies to encourage healthier food choices in the out-of-home food sector. Participants will be asked to make hypothetical food choices in an online simulation study of a delivery app. Participants will be randomised into four different intervention groups:

1. Price reduction (10%) on healthier foods
2. Price increase (10%) to less healthy foods
3. A combination of price reduction to healthier foods and price increase to less healthy foods
4. Existing price structure (i.e. control group)

The investigators will further examine effectiveness of these fiscal policies on healthy eating by socioeconomic position to understand whether these policies are equitable.

Enrollment: 3,464 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Currently reside in the United Kingdom
• Over the age of 18 years
• Order take-away food for delivery at least once a month
• Can complete the study on a laptop or desktop

Exclusion criteria

• Any major dietary restrictions (vegan, dairy/lactose-free, gluten-free) or allergies (dairy, eggs, nuts, soy, wheat) that would limit the number of dishes they could choose in the meal selection task

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

---

3,464 participants in 4 patient groups, including a placebo group

Price reduction on healthier foods

Experimental group

Description:

* Price reduction of 10% for healthier dishes (based on a score of less than 4 on the UK Nutrient Profile Model (NPM)) * Existing price structure for less healthy dishes (based on a score of 4 or higher on the UK NPM)

Treatment:

Behavioral: Price reduction on healthier foods

Price increase to less healthy foods

Experimental group

Description:

* Price increase of 10% for less healthy dishes (based on a score of less than 4 on the UK NPM) * Existing price structure for healthier dishes (based on a score of 4 or higher on the UK NPM)

Treatment:

Behavioral: Price increase to less healthy foods

Combination of price reduction to healthier foods and price increase to less healthy foods

Experimental group

Description:

* Price reduction of 10% for healthier dishes (based on a score of less than 4 on the UK NPM) * Price increase of 10% for less healthy dishes (based on a score of 4 or higher on the UK NPM)

Treatment:

Behavioral: Combination of price reduction on healthier foods and price increase on less healthy foods

Existing price structure (control)

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

- No changes in prices

Treatment:

Behavioral: Control