Progress 04/01/16 to 03/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:
Nothing Reported
Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Four doctoral public health students at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health were trained to work with the retailer point of sale data. Twoof the doctoral students used data generated by the study to partially fulfill requirements for their doctoral degree dissertation manuscripts. At least fourUniversity of New Englandpublic health and nutrition students at the undergraduate and graduate degree levels, had opportunities to work on this study either during the research phase or during dissemination phases. Several professional staff at the University of New England helped coordinate the research participantrecruitment and helped collect survey data, communicate with participants and helped develop dissemination products. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Please see the answer under what was accomplished. Only dissemination activities were undertaken during this past reporting period. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Dissemination activities continued this year. University of Maine Cooperative Extension supplied evaluation metrics for the webinar they hosted during the last annual report.The Supermarket Science Webinar was hosted by the eXtension.org Community Nutrition Education Community of Practice (CoP). Webinar content development was done by the PI, the webinar logistics were managed by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension and promotion of the webinar was conducted in collaboration with the Community Nutrition Education CoP, University of Maine and the University of New England. All members of the Community Nutrition Education CoP were notified of the webinar and additional webinar promotion was conducted by email and sent to the National EFNEP Coordinator and SNAP-Ed listservs.One hundred ninety-three individuals registered for the webinar on March 19, 2020. There were 107 individuals who attended the live webinar, and 81 individuals completed the webinar evaluation. The recorded webinar was posted on the eXtension.org Community Nutrition Education CoP site where the recorded webinar was viewed 77 additional times. Response to the webinar content was favorable and 91% (74 of 81) either strongly agreed or somewhat agreed that they gained knowledge that they could apply to their work and 80% (65 of 81) either strongly agreed or somewhat agreed that they would apply information learned in the webinar to their work. Display banners that were developed by UMaine extension during the last reporting period were printed this period and will be used to disseminate findings post award as soon as in-person events are resumed such as at national and stste conferences. While The Food Trust's (TFT) main work on the project commenced after the research was conducted and thefindings were published, TFT staff were involved from outset of the project and participated in severalplanning calls with other research partners. This involvement provided a strong base understanding ofthe research goals and a framework to guide opportunities for dissemination. Subsequently, during Years4 and 5 of the project, TFT met regularly with University of New England (UNE) staff to coordinate on thelatest publication and outreach materials, as well as maximize opportunities to share the researchfindings, especially as adjustments were made due to COVID. Two key events that The Food Trust organized to meet the stated goals of disseminating the researchfindings were an in-person convening in Washington, DC held in January 2020 as well as a researchwebinar held in January 2021. The in-person Healthy Retail Research convening was co-led by HealthyEating Research, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Center for Science in the PublicInterest, and The Food Trust. The goal of this daylong meeting was to bring together a group of expertsto consider previous research, prioritize questions for future research, highlight best practices, andfacilitate relationships between retailers and researchers; this focus provided an ideal opportunity tohighlight the UNE/Hannaford study during a panel presentation. Among the 46 attendees representingacademia, government, nonprofit, and food industry, 3 authors represented the UNE Hannaford Project(Michele Polacsek, Julie Greene, and Alyssa Moran). A second successful event was a research webinar hosted by TFT's Center for Healthy Food Access andhealthyfoodaccess.org policy network in January 2021. In order to broaden the conversation aroundhealthy food access and generate increased interest, staff from TFT and UNE decided to feature theUNE/Hannaford study alongside other healthy food researchers spanning topics including nutritionincentives, SNAP online payments, food marketing and healthy food financing. Over 600 peoplerepresenting a broad range of sectors registered for the webinar, which generated a robust discussionaround related research and increasing access to healthy food. The webinar was moderated by The FoodTrust, and featured several panelists: Alyssa Moran (Johns Hopkins), Nevin Cohen (CUNY), Shu Wen Ng(UNC), and Candace Young (New Leaf Consulting).In addition, staff sought to promote the research findings through digital communications sincein-person presentation opportunities were limited during most of the project time period. A newsletterto TFT's national stakeholder list was sent to over 7000 individuals; the January 2021 webinar was alsopromoted through the national Nutrition Incentive Hub created by USDA NIFA's Gus SchumacherNutrition Incentive Program. TFT staff shared a research summary with members of the HER NOPRENHealthy Food Retail Work Group, many of whom joined for the above noted in-person convening orwebinar. Finally, project staff created a shortened slide deck and talking points for the research findingsto share with other TFT colleagues for use in their day-to-day communications about agency projects. Challenges and Adjustments:This project faced some challenges and limitations due to the COVID pandemic. For example, projectstaff prepared a proposal that was submitted for the annual Rural Grocery Summit in Kansas in summer2020, which was subsequently canceled. Since several of the initial opportunities for disseminationcentered around travel to national conferences, including TFT's annual Healthy Food Access convening,staff sought to amplify the results of this study through virtual discussions as much as possible.Fortunately, several of those opportunities, notably the webinar highlighted above, provided strongopportunities for conversations around healthy food marketing and incentives.A second challenge was that internal staffing changes over the course of the project had a minor impacton project continuity. Fortunately, a few other concurrent projects at The Food Trust in 2020-21 hadsome relevant content alignment as well as partners in common, so project staff used those connectionsto meet intended goals. Another positive factor that was not expected at the outset of the researchstudy was the expansion of fruit and vegetable incentives nationwide following the launch of theFINI/GusNIP program at USDA in 2015. With many more researchers and practitioners investigating theeffect of financial incentives for produce, there has been a wider audience for this study and morevenues to promote further discussion around this topic.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Awaiting Publication
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Laura Y Zatz, Alyssa J. Moran, ScD, MPH; Rebecca L. Franckle, ScD, MPH; Jason P. Block, MD, MPH; Tao Hou, MPH; Dan Blue, BA; Julie C. Greene, MPH; Steven Gortmaker, PhD; Sara N. Bleich, PhD; Michele Polacsek, PhD, MHS; Anne N. Thorndike, MD, MPH; Eric B. Rimm, ScD. Comparing online and in-store grocery purchases by households in Maine. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Laura Y. Zatz, MPH; Alyssa J. Moran, ScD, MPH; Rebecca L. Franckle, ScD, MPH; Jason P. Block, MD, MPH; Tao Hou, MPH; Dan Blue, BA; Julie C. Greene, MPH; Steven Gortmaker, PhD; Sara N. Bleich, PhD; Michele Polacsek, PhD, MHS; Anne N. Thorndike, MD, MPH; Jerold R. Mande; Eric B. Rimm, ScD. Comparing shopper characteristics by online shopping use among households in low-income communities in Maine. Public Health Nutrition
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Franckle RL, Boulos RJ, Thorndike AN, Moran AJ, Khandpur N, Blue D, Greene J, Block JP, Rimm EB, Polacsek M. Implementation of a 2-for-1 Price Incentive for Fruits & Vegetables in a Grocery Retail Setting. Preventing Chronic Disease
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Progress 04/01/19 to 03/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences reached by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension this reporting period were: 1)4H Youth Development and nutrition staff, and; 2) Healthy Maine Partnership/SNAP-Ed staff. UMaine Extension Staff also assisted in creating and delivering an online training to: 3) eXtension Families, Food and Fitness, and; 4) Community Nutrition Education Communities of Practice. TheCommunity Nutrition Education Program Community of Practiceis alsohosting materials developed through this project on their websitefor professionals working with food retailers and low-income shoppers. Target audiences reached by The Food Trust were 1) major universities and researchers, 2) industry 3) Nutrition and Dietetics professionals, 4)public health and nutrition advocates; Dissemination was planned at national conferences--some of which have been canceled due to COVID-19 such as atthe annual Rural Grocery Summit. During the no-cost extension year, researchers, industry, dieticians, professional nutrition staffand end-users will be targeted for dissemination by both UMaine Coorperative Extension and The Food Trust to finish the work planned during the initial grant period. Changes/Problems:Beacuse of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of our in-person dissemination opportunities have been canceled or postponed. If allowed in the coming year--we will continue to disseminate at national and local in-person events and conferences. We will substitute virtua dissemination wherever possible in the even that in person dissemination is not possible. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?During this past project year, the project has provided: 1)one peer reviewed publication, 2) findings presented to researchers working with industry partners to promote healthy purchases and eating on January 29th 2) 1 live webinar, March 19th 3) slides, a webinarand an infographic posted on Communities' of Practice websites How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Dissemination has occurred through a webinar, and virtually on websites and presentation of findings at a national convening of resaerchers and industry partners and through a publication. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We plan to complete project activities during our No Cost Extension year. This includes at least one more webinar developed in partnership with the Food Trust, slides to disseminate our key findings wherever the Food Trust presents to relevant audiences. We will work with the University of Maine Cooperative extension to disseminate our infographic and banners to relevant target audiences-nutrition and dietetics professionals, low income shoppers, researchers and public health advocates.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Education and Extension activities continued in year 4. We published a peer reviewed journal article disseminating results and recommendations for future research toresearch and academic audiences. Moran, A., Thorndike, A., Franckle, R., Boulos, R., Doran, H., Fulay, A., . . . Polacsek, M. (2019). Financial incentives increase purchases of fruit and vegetables among lower-income households with children.Health Affairs (Project Hope),38(9), 1557-1566. doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2018.05420 University of Maine Cooperative extension worked with us to provide a webinar (March 19, 2020)specifically targeting nutrition and dietetics professionals in Maine and nationally. Over 300 professionals attendedthe webinar.The webinar and slides were posted on a Community of Practice site for future use by this target audience. University of Maine Cooperative Extension also heled us develop an Infographic which was created in several formats--to be both web-ready and for printed displays and cards. Display banners were created in two sizes for future in-person events, dispal tablesand presentations. Banners will also be mailed to the Food Trust for inclusion at any events they sponsor or attend. The Food Trust submitted a proposal for inclusion of our research findings at the annual Rural Grocery Summit. The proposal was accepted and will be presented virtually given the conference was canceled due to COVID-19. The annual Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior posters were also discontinued this year and would have served as a way to disseminate our results to the research community. A slide deckwasdeveloped to insert into other virtual presentations that the Food Trust will be presenting in the upcoming No-Cost-Extension year such as at the Healthy Food Access Convening. Slides of findings were also presented to a group of researchers convening in Washington D.C. to develop recommendations for future reaserch with retailers on january 29th, 2020. Two webinars will also be developed by the Food Trust for 1) the research and 2) professional and 3) low income shopper end user audiences.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Moran, A., Thorndike, A., Franckle, R., Boulos, R., Doran, H., Fulay, A., . . . Polacsek, M. (2019). Financial incentives increase purchases of fruit and vegetables among lower-income households with children. Health Affairs (Project Hope), 38(9), 1557-1566. doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2018.05420
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Progress 04/01/18 to 03/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience:Preliminary, unpublishedfindingswere presented to researchers, retailers,students and public health advocates at The Obesity Society meeting in Nashville, TN in November, 2018. Preliminaryfindingswere also shared with our project education and extension partners to prepare them for work to develop products and dissemination activities in year 4. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?One graduate studentand a post-doctoral fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health were involved in the analyses and manuscript development. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Under the goals of developing, assessing and expanding effective interventions; and increasing the number of skilled and informed professionals and consumers to address the complex problem of childhood obesity, during the next reporting period,education and extension partners will work to create products and disseminate findings to target audiences.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Under the goal of generating new knowledge, during this reporting period, data gathered during the research phase were analyzed and a manuscript was developed and sybmitted to a peer-reviewed journal-Health Affairs. Our findings are summarized here:We enrolled 605 primary shoppers from onesupermarketin Maine into a randomized controlled trial examining theeffects of a financial incentive on fruits and vegetablesandin-store nutrition education on purchases. We also measuredchanges in consumption of the primary shopper and a referencechild. Compared to the control group, the intervention groupincreased weekly spending on fruits and vegetables by 27%. Therewere no differences between groups in purchases of unhealthfulfoods or in fruit and vegetable intake. These findings supportfinancial incentive programs, like those implemented through theSupplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, as a means toincrease purchasing, but complementary policy approaches areneeded to improve diet quality.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Moran A, et al. Supermarket Financial Incentives Increase Purchases of Fruits and Vegetables Among Lower-Income Households with Children. Submitted to Health Affairs February 22, 2019. Under Review.
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Progress 04/01/17 to 03/31/18
Outputs
Target Audience:
Nothing Reported
Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?One master's student, one doctoral student, and one post-doctoral fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in the Department of Nutrition are participating in the analysis database development, UPC database coding and cleaning and UPC, Food Frequency Questionnaire, exit survey, and customer purchase databases for ongoing analyses. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, education and extension partners will be engaged to carry out the second project goal: Education and extension efforts based on our study findings will contribute to meeting USDA Childhood Obesity Prevention Challenge Area Goals of generating new knowledge; developing, assessing and expanding effective interventions; and increasing the number of skilled and informed professionals and consumers to address the complex problem of childhood obesity. This work will be accomplished by UNE, The Food Trust, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, , eXtension Communities of Practice, and Maine SNAP-Ed.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Evaluate the success of promoting F&V purchases among low-income and SNAP-eligible families and children living in a rural Maine community. 1. Major activities completed/experiments conducted; During this reporting period, study participants were informed about timing of F&V incentives and other discounts throughout the study period, which ended September 30, 2017. Purchase data tracking was also accomplished throughout the study time period. Food Frequency Questionnaires and the Exit surveys were combined and completed as scheduled. Food Frequency Questionnaire and participant purchase data analysis is ongoing. A report of preliminary analyses along with a presenttaion was developed and presented to project advisors and partners (including a representative from the FINI grants) in February, 2018. 2. Dta collected; During this reporting period, participant purchase data was collected, Food Frequency Questionnaires and Exit surveys (N=393; 65%) were also collected as planned. 3. Summary statistics and discussion of results; No final results are available at this time. However, 528 (87%) participants used the discount loyalty card at least once. There were 15,336 transactions over the 35 week study and about 282,000 items and 16,000 unique UPC codes used. Mean spending per transaction was $66 and the average number of transactions per shopper was 29. Among participants, the average weekly shopping trips were ~1 (0.83). Twenty-eight intervention group study participants participated in the Cooking Matters sessions offered. We saw 4,182 transactions with eligible F&V and 3,390 coupons redeemed the incentives provided were redeemed (81.1%). 687 coupons were redeemed by SNAP participants (85.0%) and 2703 coupons were redeemed by non-SNAP participants (80.1%). 4. Key outcomes or other accomplishments realized. No key outcomes or accomplishments to date
Publications
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Progress 04/01/16 to 03/31/17
Outputs
Target Audience:In year 1, during the research phase of our project, we targeted rural, low income, English-speaking adults who are primary shoppers for their household and live with at least one child under 18 years of age. We enrolled individual shoppers at a Maine retail grocery location with a substantial Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) customer base. The research study enrolled 605 shoppers in October 2016. Demographic information, shopping, and nutrition information was collected from enrolled individuals via surveys. Study participants who are randomly selected for an intervention arm will be provided a 50% discount on fruit and vegetable purchases at the retail location as well as Cooking Matters point of purchase education at the same retail location. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?One master's student, two doctoral students, and one post doctoral fellow at at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health in the Department of Nutrition are participating in database development, coding, and cleaning the retailer data and are participating in data analysis. Two dietetic interns provided support to Cooking Matters Store events at the Hannaford supermarket location where these events were held for the project. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, the research phase of the project will be completed and research data analyses will take place. Products from the research phase will be developed and education and extension partners will be engaged to develop products based on research findings to begin planning education and extension activities.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
1) Major activities completed / experiments conducted; Major accomplishments included: obtained IRB determinantion for the research phase of the project, finalized research protocols and assembled staff, convened the advisory committee in September, 2016, enrolled 605 research subjects, administered enrollment survey to all research subjects, administered Food Frequency Questionnaire online to 457 research subjects, randomized research subjects into intervenion and control arms, communicated with research subjects monthly, scheduled and held 6 Cooking Matters store tours for intervention research subjects at the study retail location (January-February 2017). 2) Dta collected; Enrollment survey data from all research subjects was collected and Food Frequency Survey data from 457 (76%) research subjects was collected. Data collection tracking all purchases of research subjects at the study retail location is ongoing. Participants who attended Cooking Matters store events were also tracked. 3) Summary statistics and discussion of results; No results are available at this time 4) Key outcomes or other accomplishments realized. No key outcomes or acomplishments to date
Publications
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