Diet, Healthy
Conditions
Keywords
Food Waste, Diet Quality, Stress Management, Food Intake
Brief summary
The primary aim of this study is to reduce household food waste and improve individual nutrition. This will be achieved using the FoodImageTM smartphone app 1, a novel method for measuring household food acquisition, food intake, and food waste decisions, to assess the efficacy of a smart intervention that targets food waste reduction and diet quality improvement. The intervention is designed to improve nutrition by offsetting intake of less nutritious foods with increased fresh fruit and vegetable (FV) intake while simultaneously reducing household food waste via strategies tailored to participating households.
Detailed description
Data collected will be used to: 1. Test the effects of free FV provision on: (a) household food waste levels, (b) total FV acquisition (free FV provision plus purchases post-intervention vs. pre-intervention FV purchases), and (c) the consumption of FV (Food Patterns Equivalents Database, FPED). We hypothesize that free FV provision will increase food waste, total FV acquisition, and diet quality (increase the Healthy Eating Index \[HEI\]). We will test these hypotheses by comparing baseline and follow-up data from participants randomly assigned to the control condition, which features free FV provision and a placebo (stress management) intervention not focused on food waste. Exploratory analyses will examine the effects on dietary energy intake and if the freely provided FV replace non-FV foods in the baseline diet. 2. Test if a smart intervention to reduce food waste and replace less healthy foods with FV significantly reduces post-intervention food waste compared to the control group while increasing FV acquisition and consumption compared to pre-intervention baseline. We hypothesize that this smart intervention will increase total FV acquisition and FV consumption compared to baseline, and these increases are not expected to differ significantly from control. It is further hypothesized that those receiving the smart intervention will significantly reduce food waste compared to controls. Exploratory analyses will examine the extent to which the smart intervention had the intended effect of replacing less healthy foods with FV consumption.
Interventions
OTHERSmart Intervention for Food Waste Management and Replacing current diet with Fruits and Vegetables
Will receive a Smart Intervention on Food Waste Management and replacing less healthy foods with fruits and vegetables.
OTHERSmart Intervention for Stress Management
Will receive a Smart Intervention on stress management practices and strategies.
Sponsors
Pennington Biomedical Research Center
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans
Ohio State University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 62 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Male or female, age 18-62 years * Body mass index (BMI) 18.5 - 50 kg/m2, based on self-reported height and weight * Ownership of an iPhone, which the participant is willing to use for the study * Access to Apple ID, password, and email address and willing to use them in the course of the study * Performs a majority of household food shopping and preparation * If children are present in household, all children are between 6-18 years * Able to meet the schedule demands for the study
Exclusion criteria
* Not able to use an iPhone * Refusal or unable to use the smartphone app to collect data in free-living conditions * Households that purchase groceries less than 1 time per week * More than 2 children living in the household * Pennington Biomedical Research Center employee * Unwilling to sign consent to use web screener questions for data set and analysis.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| The Impact of Free FV Provision on Levels of Household Food Waste, Measured in Calories. | 4 weeks | We will test if levels of household food waste change significantly over 4 weeks among participants randomized to the control condition, which includes free FV provision and a placebo (stress management) intervention not focused on food waste. Food waste will be measured with the FoodImage app. Food waste will be quantified as total calories of food waste per day. |
| Change in Fruit and Vegetable Intake With Smart Intervention Compared to Pre-intervention Baseline | 4 weeks | Fruit and vegetable intake was assessed at baseline and post-intervention using data collected via the FoodImage app for three consecutive days prior to the first free fruit and vegetable pickup and three days following the final pickup. Intake was calculated in servings/day. Change is calculated as post-intervention value minus pre-intervention value, where positive values indicate an increase in intake and negative values indicate a decrease. |
| The Impact of Free FV Provision on Levels of Household Food Waste, Measured in Grams. | 4 weeks | We will test if levels of household food waste change significantly over 4 weeks among participants randomized to the control condition, which includes free FV provision and a placebo (stress management) intervention not focused on food waste. Food waste will be measured with the FoodImage app. Food waste will be quantified as total grams of food waste per day. |
| The Impact of Free FV Provision on Household FV Intake. | 4 weeks | We will test if levels of household FV intake change significantly over 4 weeks among participants randomized to the control condition, which includes free FV provision and a placebo (stress management) intervention not focused on food waste. FV intake will be measured with the FoodImage app. FV intake will be quantified as the total number of servings of FV eaten per day, with FV servings defined by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Patterns Equivalents Database (FPED). |
| Change in Diet Quality (Healthy Eating Index) With Smart Intervention Compared to Pre-intervention Baseline | 4 weeks | Diet quality will be assessed using the Healthy Eating Index-2020 (HEI-2020), a validated tool that measures adherence to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better diet quality. The total HEI score is calculated based on intake data collected via the FoodImage app over a 3-day period before and after the 4-week Smart intervention. The intervention includes the free provision of fruits and vegetables (FV) and aims to reduce food waste and replace less healthy foods with FV. |
| Determine if a Smart Intervention to Reduce Food Waste and Replace Less Healthy Foods With FV Significantly Increases FV Plate Waste Compared to Pre-intervention Baseline. | 4 weeks | We will test if levels of FV plate waste change significantly over 4 weeks among participants randomized to the control condition, which includes free FV provision and a placebo (stress management) intervention not focused on food waste. FV plate waste will be measured with the FoodImage app. FV plate waste will be quantified as total grams of food waste per day. |
| Determine if a Smart Intervention to Reduce Food Waste and Replace Less Healthy Foods With FV Significantly Reduces Household Level Food Waste, Measured in Grams, Compared to a Control Intervention. | 4 weeks | We will test if a smart intervention to reduce food waste and replace less healthy foods with FV significantly reduces food waste over 4 weeks compared to a control (stress management) intervention. Both interventions include FV provision. Food waste will be measured with the FoodImage app. Food waste will be quantified as total grams of food waste per day. |
| Determine if a Smart Intervention to Reduce Food Waste and Replace Less Healthy Foods With FV Significantly Reduces Household Level Food Waste, Measured in Calories, Compared to a Control Intervention. | 4 weeks | We will test if a smart intervention to reduce food waste and replace less healthy foods with FV significantly reduces food waste over 4 weeks compared to a control (stress management) intervention. Both interventions include FV provision. Food waste will be measured with the FoodImage app. Food waste will be quantified as total calories of food waste. |
| The Impact of Free FV Provision on Household FV Acquisition. | 4 weeks | We will test if levels of household FV acquisition change significantly over 4 weeks among participants randomized to the control condition, which includes free FV provision and a placebo (stress management) intervention not focused on food waste. FV acquisition will be measured with the Foodlmage app. FV acquisition will be quantified as the total number of servings of FV acquired by the household, with FV servings defined by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Patterns Equivalents Database (FPED). |
| Determine if a Smart Intervention to Reduce Food Waste and Replace Less Healthy Foods With FV Significantly Increases FV Acquisition Compared to Pre-intervention Baseline. | 4 weeks | We will test if a smart intervention to reduce food waste and replace less healthy foods with FV significantly increases FV acquisition over 4 weeks. The intervention includes free provision of FV. FV acquisition will be measured with the Foodlmage app. FV acquisition will be quantified as the total number of servings of FV acquired by the household, with FV servings defined by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Patterns Equivalents Database (FPED). |
Countries
United States
Contacts
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORCorby K Martin, PhD
Pennington Biomedical
Participant flow
Participants by arm
| Arm | Count |
|---|---|
| Food Waste Intervention Group This group will receive an intervention on food waste management and fruit and vegetable replacement to increase diet quality while avoiding an increase in calories. Both groups will obtain free fruit and vegetable boxes and will use the FoodImage app to record food acquisition (Shop), food prep (Prep), intake (Eat) and waste (Toss) for approximately 3 (24 hour) days; ideally including 1 weekend date.
Smart Intervention for Food Waste Management and Replacing current diet with Fruits and Vegetables: Will receive a Smart Intervention on Food Waste Management and replacing less healthy foods with fruits and vegetables. | 23 |
| Stress Management Control Group This group will receive an intervention on Stress Management and will be intensity matched to the treatment group. Both groups will obtain free fruit and vegetable boxes and will use FoodImage to record food acquisition (Shop), food prep (Prep), intake (Eat) and waste (Toss) for approximately 3 (24 hour) days; ideally including 1 weekend date.
Smart Intervention for Stress Management: Will receive a Smart Intervention on stress management practices and strategies. | 23 |
| Total | 46 |
Baseline characteristics
| Characteristic | Food Waste Intervention Group | Stress Management Control Group | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, Categorical <=18 years | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Age, Categorical >=65 years | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Age, Categorical Between 18 and 65 years | 23 Participants | 23 Participants | 46 Participants |
| Age, Continuous | 49.7 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 11.2 | 48.9 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 11.1 | 49.3 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 11.1 |
| Fruit and Vegetable intake | 2.15 servings/day STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.5 | 2.12 servings/day STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.9 | 2.14 servings/day STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.8 |
| Race (NIH/OMB) American Indian or Alaska Native | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Asian | 0 Participants | 1 Participants | 1 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Black or African American | 7 Participants | 7 Participants | 14 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) More than one race | 1 Participants | 0 Participants | 1 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Unknown or Not Reported | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) White | 15 Participants | 15 Participants | 30 Participants |
| Region of Enrollment United States | 23 participants | 23 participants | 46 participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Female | 22 Participants | 21 Participants | 43 Participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Male | 1 Participants | 2 Participants | 3 Participants |
Adverse events
| Event type | EG000 affected / at risk | EG001 affected / at risk |
|---|---|---|
| deaths Total, all-cause mortality | 0 / 23 | 0 / 23 |
| other Total, other adverse events | 0 / 23 | 0 / 23 |
| serious Total, serious adverse events | 0 / 23 | 0 / 23 |
Outcome results
Primary
Change in Diet Quality (Healthy Eating Index) With Smart Intervention Compared to Pre-intervention Baseline
Diet quality will be assessed using the Healthy Eating Index-2020 (HEI-2020), a validated tool that measures adherence to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better diet quality. The total HEI score is calculated based on intake data collected via the FoodImage app over a 3-day period before and after the 4-week Smart intervention. The intervention includes the free provision of fruits and vegetables (FV) and aims to reduce food waste and replace less healthy foods with FV.
Time frame: 4 weeks
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food Waste Intervention Group | Change in Diet Quality (Healthy Eating Index) With Smart Intervention Compared to Pre-intervention Baseline | -2.77 Units on the Healthy Eating Index | Standard Deviation 2.88 |
| Stress Management Control Group | Change in Diet Quality (Healthy Eating Index) With Smart Intervention Compared to Pre-intervention Baseline | -1.93 Units on the Healthy Eating Index | Standard Deviation 1.98 |
Primary
Change in Fruit and Vegetable Intake With Smart Intervention Compared to Pre-intervention Baseline
Fruit and vegetable intake was assessed at baseline and post-intervention using data collected via the FoodImage app for three consecutive days prior to the first free fruit and vegetable pickup and three days following the final pickup. Intake was calculated in servings/day. Change is calculated as post-intervention value minus pre-intervention value, where positive values indicate an increase in intake and negative values indicate a decrease.
Time frame: 4 weeks
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food Waste Intervention Group | Change in Fruit and Vegetable Intake With Smart Intervention Compared to Pre-intervention Baseline | 0.85 servings/day | Standard Deviation 0.27 |
| Stress Management Control Group | Change in Fruit and Vegetable Intake With Smart Intervention Compared to Pre-intervention Baseline | -0.07 servings/day | Standard Deviation 0.2 |
Primary
Determine if a Smart Intervention to Reduce Food Waste and Replace Less Healthy Foods With FV Significantly Increases FV Acquisition Compared to Pre-intervention Baseline.
We will test if a smart intervention to reduce food waste and replace less healthy foods with FV significantly increases FV acquisition over 4 weeks. The intervention includes free provision of FV. FV acquisition will be measured with the Foodlmage app. FV acquisition will be quantified as the total number of servings of FV acquired by the household, with FV servings defined by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Patterns Equivalents Database (FPED).
Time frame: 4 weeks
Population: The intended outcome variable could not be quantified due to the poor quality of images and receipt scans from which the outcome variable would be generated.
Primary
Determine if a Smart Intervention to Reduce Food Waste and Replace Less Healthy Foods With FV Significantly Increases FV Plate Waste Compared to Pre-intervention Baseline.
We will test if levels of FV plate waste change significantly over 4 weeks among participants randomized to the control condition, which includes free FV provision and a placebo (stress management) intervention not focused on food waste. FV plate waste will be measured with the FoodImage app. FV plate waste will be quantified as total grams of food waste per day.
Time frame: 4 weeks
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food Waste Intervention Group | Determine if a Smart Intervention to Reduce Food Waste and Replace Less Healthy Foods With FV Significantly Increases FV Plate Waste Compared to Pre-intervention Baseline. | -22.2 grams/day | Standard Deviation 13.2 |
| Stress Management Control Group | Determine if a Smart Intervention to Reduce Food Waste and Replace Less Healthy Foods With FV Significantly Increases FV Plate Waste Compared to Pre-intervention Baseline. | 11.7 grams/day | Standard Deviation 6.9 |
Primary
Determine if a Smart Intervention to Reduce Food Waste and Replace Less Healthy Foods With FV Significantly Reduces Household Level Food Waste, Measured in Calories, Compared to a Control Intervention.
We will test if a smart intervention to reduce food waste and replace less healthy foods with FV significantly reduces food waste over 4 weeks compared to a control (stress management) intervention. Both interventions include FV provision. Food waste will be measured with the FoodImage app. Food waste will be quantified as total calories of food waste.
Time frame: 4 weeks
| Arm | Measure | Value (LEAST_SQUARES_MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food Waste Intervention Group | Determine if a Smart Intervention to Reduce Food Waste and Replace Less Healthy Foods With FV Significantly Reduces Household Level Food Waste, Measured in Calories, Compared to a Control Intervention. | 78.23 kcal/day | Standard Error 49.65 |
| Stress Management Control Group | Determine if a Smart Intervention to Reduce Food Waste and Replace Less Healthy Foods With FV Significantly Reduces Household Level Food Waste, Measured in Calories, Compared to a Control Intervention. | 117.37 kcal/day | Standard Error 66.33 |
Primary
Determine if a Smart Intervention to Reduce Food Waste and Replace Less Healthy Foods With FV Significantly Reduces Household Level Food Waste, Measured in Grams, Compared to a Control Intervention.
We will test if a smart intervention to reduce food waste and replace less healthy foods with FV significantly reduces food waste over 4 weeks compared to a control (stress management) intervention. Both interventions include FV provision. Food waste will be measured with the FoodImage app. Food waste will be quantified as total grams of food waste per day.
Time frame: 4 weeks
| Arm | Measure | Value (LEAST_SQUARES_MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food Waste Intervention Group | Determine if a Smart Intervention to Reduce Food Waste and Replace Less Healthy Foods With FV Significantly Reduces Household Level Food Waste, Measured in Grams, Compared to a Control Intervention. | 84.87 grams/day | Standard Error 41.18 |
| Stress Management Control Group | Determine if a Smart Intervention to Reduce Food Waste and Replace Less Healthy Foods With FV Significantly Reduces Household Level Food Waste, Measured in Grams, Compared to a Control Intervention. | 167.19 grams/day | Standard Error 60.8 |
Primary
The Impact of Free FV Provision on Household FV Acquisition.
We will test if levels of household FV acquisition change significantly over 4 weeks among participants randomized to the control condition, which includes free FV provision and a placebo (stress management) intervention not focused on food waste. FV acquisition will be measured with the Foodlmage app. FV acquisition will be quantified as the total number of servings of FV acquired by the household, with FV servings defined by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Patterns Equivalents Database (FPED).
Time frame: 4 weeks
Population: The intended outcome variable could not be quantified due to the poor quality of images and receipt scans from which the outcome variable would be generated.
Primary
The Impact of Free FV Provision on Household FV Intake.
We will test if levels of household FV intake change significantly over 4 weeks among participants randomized to the control condition, which includes free FV provision and a placebo (stress management) intervention not focused on food waste. FV intake will be measured with the FoodImage app. FV intake will be quantified as the total number of servings of FV eaten per day, with FV servings defined by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Patterns Equivalents Database (FPED).
Time frame: 4 weeks
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food Waste Intervention Group | The Impact of Free FV Provision on Household FV Intake. | 0.72 servings/day | Standard Deviation 1.67 |
| Stress Management Control Group | The Impact of Free FV Provision on Household FV Intake. | -0.08 servings/day | Standard Deviation 1.34 |
Primary
The Impact of Free FV Provision on Levels of Household Food Waste, Measured in Calories.
We will test if levels of household food waste change significantly over 4 weeks among participants randomized to the control condition, which includes free FV provision and a placebo (stress management) intervention not focused on food waste. Food waste will be measured with the FoodImage app. Food waste will be quantified as total calories of food waste per day.
Time frame: 4 weeks
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food Waste Intervention Group | The Impact of Free FV Provision on Levels of Household Food Waste, Measured in Calories. | 101.5 kcal/day | Standard Deviation 327.6 |
| Stress Management Control Group | The Impact of Free FV Provision on Levels of Household Food Waste, Measured in Calories. | 141.5 kcal/day | Standard Deviation 316.9 |
Primary
The Impact of Free FV Provision on Levels of Household Food Waste, Measured in Grams.
We will test if levels of household food waste change significantly over 4 weeks among participants randomized to the control condition, which includes free FV provision and a placebo (stress management) intervention not focused on food waste. Food waste will be measured with the FoodImage app. Food waste will be quantified as total grams of food waste per day.
Time frame: 4 weeks
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food Waste Intervention Group | The Impact of Free FV Provision on Levels of Household Food Waste, Measured in Grams. | 103.3 grams/day | Standard Deviation 253.8 |
| Stress Management Control Group | The Impact of Free FV Provision on Levels of Household Food Waste, Measured in Grams. | 191.0 grams/day | Standard Deviation 309.3 |