Food Swaps for Healthy Eating

Overseen By Amanda B. Zeitlin, MPH

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Stanford University

Disqualifiers: Under 18, Reside outside US, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 3

1200 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

Do I need to stop taking my current medications for this trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment 'Combined health and environment swaps' in the clinical trial 'Food Swaps for Healthy Eating'?

The Make Better Choices 1 trial showed that changing diet and activity behaviors, like increasing fruits and vegetables and reducing sedentary time, led to better health improvements. This suggests that similar strategies in the 'Combined health and environment swaps' treatment could be effective for promoting healthy eating. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is the 'Food Swaps for Healthy Eating' treatment safe for humans?

The research articles do not provide specific safety data for the 'Food Swaps for Healthy Eating' treatment, but they focus on the acceptance and effectiveness of food swaps in reducing energy intake. No safety concerns are mentioned in the studies. ^{6 7 8 9 10}

How does the 'Food Swaps for Healthy Eating' treatment differ from other treatments?

The 'Food Swaps for Healthy Eating' treatment is unique because it focuses on swapping foods to improve health and environmental outcomes, using strategies like providing calorie information or sensory similarities to increase acceptance. This approach is novel as it combines health and environmental benefits, unlike traditional dietary interventions that may focus solely on health. ^{6 7 11 12 13}

What is the purpose of this trial?

The study aims to determine whether viewing health or climate labels (or both) and receiving recommendations for healthier or more climate-friendly swaps (or both) in an online grocery store environment improves the healthfulness and reduces the carbon footprint of consumers' food and beverage purchases compared to shopping as usual without swap recommendations. The online store will record participants' food selections. Participants will also be asked to complete survey measures.

Research Team

Anna H. Grummon, PhD

Principal Investigator

Stanford School of Medicine

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for individuals interested in making healthier and more environmentally sustainable food choices. Participants should be regular online grocery shoppers willing to receive recommendations for alternative products. Specific eligibility criteria are not provided, so generally healthy adults who shop online may apply.

Inclusion Criteria

Have internet access to complete the 3 online study visits

Reside in the United States

Exclusion Criteria

Reside outside of the United States

I do not have internet access for online study visits.

I am under 18 years old.

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1 week

Baseline Shopping Task

Participants complete an online grocery shopping task without intervention and complete a survey

1 week

1 online visit

Intervention

Participants are randomized to one of four conditions and complete a shopping task with or without labels and swap recommendations

1 week

1 online visit

Follow-up

Participants repeat the shopping task and survey in their assigned group

1 week

1 online visit

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Combined health and environment swaps
• Control
• Environment swaps
• Health swaps

Trial Overview The study tests if suggesting healthier or eco-friendlier food swaps—or a combination of both—can improve the nutritional quality and sustainability of online grocery purchases compared to usual shopping without suggestions.

Participant Groups

Group I: Health swaps Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Labels will be "nutrition grades" for products and replacement swap suggestions will be for items with a better nutrition grade.

Group II: Combined health and climate swaps Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Labels will be "nutrition grades" and "climate grades" for products and replacement swap suggestions will be for items that are better than originally selected products on at least one dimension (nutrition grade or climate grade) and not worse than originally selected products on either dimension.

Group III: Climate swaps Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Labels will be "climate grades" for products and replacement swap suggestions will be for items with a better climate grade.

Group IV: Control Active Control 1 Intervention

No labels or swaps.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Stanford University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

2,527

Recruited

17,430,000+

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Collaborator

Trials

3,987

Recruited

47,860,000+

References

1. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Nocebo Responses in Brain Diseases: A Systematic Review of the Current Literature. [2019]

2. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Placebo treatment versus no treatment. [2018]

3. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Mechanisms of Change in Diet and Activity in the Make Better Choices 1 Trial. [2020]

4. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Why context matters when changing the diet: A narrative review of placebo, nocebo, and psychosocial context effects and implications for outcome research and nutrition counselling. [2023]

5. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Make Better Choices (MBC): study design of a randomized controlled trial testing optimal technology-supported change in multiple diet and physical activity risk behaviors. [2021]

6. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A randomised experiment of health, cost and social norm message frames to encourage acceptance of swaps in a simulation online supermarket. [2021]

7. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The effect of messaging on the acceptance of swaps to reduce the energy content of snacks and non-alcoholic drinks ordered in an experimental online workplace canteen: A randomised controlled trial. [2022]

8. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Offering within-category food swaps to reduce energy density of food purchases: a study using an experimental online supermarket. [2022]

9. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Strategies to reduce the energy content of foods pre-ordered for lunch in the workplace: a randomised controlled trial in an experimental online canteen. [2023]

10. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The effectiveness of public health advertisements to promote health: a randomized-controlled trial on 794,000 participants. [2020]

11. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Sensory swap: Modelling the impact of swapping discretionary choices for similar tasting core foods on the energy, nutrients and sensory properties of Australian diets. [2022]

12. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Residential summer camp intervention improves camp food environment. [2019]

13. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Can Public Health Interventions Change Immediate and Long-Term Dietary Behaviours? Encouraging Evidence from a Pilot Study of the U.K. Change4Life Sugar Swaps Campaign. [2022]