Study of Purchasing Decisions and Food Consumption: Chile
Study Details
Study Description
Brief Summary
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:
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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%.
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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%.
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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:
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First group of intervention (GI1): people who will make their purchases with taxes on food and beverages "High in";
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Second intervention group (GI2): people who will make their purchases with subsidies for fruits and vegetables;
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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.
| Condition or Disease | Intervention/Treatment | Phase |
|---|---|---|
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N/A |
Study Design
Arms and Interventions
| Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
|---|---|
| Experimental: tax on purchases exposed to high-price purchases of "high in" foods, including sugary drinks. |
Behavioral: Taxes
a "High in" food tax will be applied to study changes in purchasing and consumption behavior of participants in this group. The tax will correspond to a 20% increase over the market price, that is, a tax that reaches the levels recommended by the WHO.
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| Experimental: subsidies on purchases exposed to purchases with prices that consider subsidies in fruits and vegetables. |
Behavioral: Subsidies
A subsidy will be applied to fruits and vegetables that means a reduction of 20% in their price, to study the changes in purchasing behavior and of the participants of said group.
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| Placebo Comparator: Control It will not be subjected to any intervention and therefore will buy with current or market prices. |
Behavioral: Control
Average or current food prices will apply. Based on the average of the values reported by three supermarkets
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Outcome Measures
Primary Outcome Measures
- healthiness of the total shopping [one measurement per participant (requested to purchase food for 15 days)]
percent of total unit food items defined as healthy
Eligibility Criteria
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
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Over 18 years of age.
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Person responsible for household purchases.
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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
Contacts and Locations
Locations
| Site | City | State | Country | Postal Code | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carolina Gamboa Vidal | Santiago | Región Metropolitana | Chile |
Sponsors and Collaborators
- Universidad Mayor
- Sociedad Chilena de Pediatría
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Carolina G Vidal, Escuela de Salud Pública Universidad Mayor, Chile
Study Documents (Full-Text)
None provided.More Information
Publications
- Waterlander WE, Steenhuis IH, de Boer MR, Schuit AJ, Seidell JC. Introducing taxes, subsidies or both: the effects of various food pricing strategies in a web-based supermarket randomized trial. Prev Med. 2012 May;54(5):323-30. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2012.02.009. Epub 2012 Feb 23.
- Waterlander WE, Steenhuis IH, de Boer MR, Schuit AJ, Seidell JC. The effects of a 25% discount on fruits and vegetables: results of a randomized trial in a three-dimensional web-based supermarket. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2012 Feb 8;9:11. doi: 10.1186/1479-5868-9-11.
- FONISSA17I0121