Study of Purchasing Decisions and Food Consumption: Chile

Universidad Mayor

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Evaluate the Effectiveness of Taxes on Unhealthy; Evaluate the Effectiveness Subsidies for Healthy Foods

Treatments: Behavioral: Subsidies; Behavioral: Control; Behavioral: Taxes

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04654780

FONISSA17I0121

Details and patient eligibility

About

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of taxes on unhealthy foods and subsidies for healthy foods in modifying the purchasing and consumption behavior of people in the Metropolitan Region, Chile.

Research hypothesis:

1. The application of a tax that increases the price of "High in" foods by 20% will reduce the purchase and consumption of these foods by 24%.
2. The application of a subsidy that reduces the price of fruits and vegetables by 20% will increase the purchase and consumption of these foods by 17%.
3. People of lower socioeconomic status are more sensitive to price changes than people of higher socioeconomic status.

Methodological design. The research proposal proposes an experimental design that will select the participants from a panel composed of people over 18 years of age, men and women, and of all socioeconomic levels. The methodological design considers a random assignment of the people eligible for the study into 3 groups:

1. First group of intervention (GI1): people who will make their purchases with taxes on food and beverages "High in";

2. Second intervention group (GI2): people who will make their purchases with subsidies for fruits and vegetables;

3. Control group (CG) that will make the purchases with the market prices or currently applied by the supermarkets or purchase scenarios.

Methodology. Participants will make a monthly simulated purchase through a simulated supermarket system with products similar to those found in real supermarkets, including "High in" products and fruits and vegetables. Different prices will be applied to each group depending on the type of food. With the data of simulated purchases, a variation of the demand and by socioeconomic subgroup will be calculated. The results will be compared with the control group.

Expected results. GI1 participants are expected to modify their purchase intention with the "High in" food tax, decreasing the purchase of these products in their simulated purchases, compared to CG participants who will make their simulated purchases without taxes. Likewise, IG2 participants are expected to modify their purchase intention with the fruit and vegetable subsidy, increasing the purchase of these foods, compared to CG participants. Finally, it is assumed that the reduction in simulated purchases of "High in" foods and the increase in simulated purchases of fruits and vegetables vary according to socioeconomic level.

Enrollment: 360 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Over 18 years of age.
• Person responsible for household purchases.
• Living in a household with one or more boys or girls between 2-14 years of age

Exclusion criteria

• That in the home there are no dietary restrictions that prevent the development of this research such as eating disorders, food allergies

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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360 participants in 3 patient groups, including a placebo group

tax on purchases

Experimental group

Description:

exposed to high-price purchases of "high in" foods, including sugary drinks.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Taxes

subsidies on purchases

Experimental group

Description:

exposed to purchases with prices that consider subsidies in fruits and vegetables.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Subsidies

Control

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

It will not be subjected to any intervention and therefore will buy with current or market prices.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Control