Tashara M Leak1, Alison Swenson2, Aaron Rendahl3, Zata Vickers2, Elton Mykerezi4, Joseph P Redden5, Traci Mann6, Marla Reicks2. 1. 1School of Public Health,University of California,50 University Hall,#7360,Berkeley,CA 94720,USA. 2. 2Department of Food Science and Nutrition,University of Minnesota,Saint Paul,MN,USA. 3. 3School of Statistics,University of Minnesota,Saint Paul,MN,USA. 4. 4Department of Applied Economics,University of Minnesota,Saint Paul,MN,USA. 5. 5Carlson School of Management,University of Minnesota,Minneapolis,MN,USA. 6. 6Department of Psychology,University of Minnesota,Minneapolis,MN,USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To examine the feasibility of implementing nine behavioural economics-informed strategies, or 'nudges', that aimed to encourage home dinner vegetable intake among low-income children. DESIGN: Caregivers were assigned six of nine strategies and implemented one new strategy per week (i.e. 6 weeks) during three dinner meals. Caregivers recorded child dinner vegetable intake on the nights of strategy implementation and rated the level of difficulty for assigned strategies. Baseline data on home vegetable availability and child vegetable liking were collected to assess overall strategy feasibility. SETTING: Participants' homes in a large Midwestern metropolitan area, USA. SUBJECTS:Low-income caregiver/child (aged 9-12 years) dyads (n 39). RESULTS: Pairwise comparisons showed that child dinner vegetable intake for the strategy 'Serve at least two vegetables with dinner meals' was greater than intake for each of two other strategies: 'Pair vegetables with other foods the child likes' and 'Eat dinner together with an adult(s) modelling vegetable consumption'. Overall, caregivers' mean rating of difficulty for implementing strategies was 2·6 (1='not difficult', 10='very difficult'). Households had a mean of ten different types of vegetables available. Children reported a rating ≥5 for seventeen types of vegetable on a labelled hedonic scale (1='hate it', 5-6='it's okay', 10='like it a lot'). CONCLUSIONS: Behavioural economics-informed strategies are feasible to implement during dinner meals, with some strategies differing by how much they influence vegetable intake among low-income children in the home.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: To examine the feasibility of implementing nine behavioural economics-informed strategies, or 'nudges', that aimed to encourage home dinner vegetable intake among low-income children. DESIGN: Caregivers were assigned six of nine strategies and implemented one new strategy per week (i.e. 6 weeks) during three dinner meals. Caregivers recorded child dinner vegetable intake on the nights of strategy implementation and rated the level of difficulty for assigned strategies. Baseline data on home vegetable availability and child vegetable liking were collected to assess overall strategy feasibility. SETTING:Participants' homes in a large Midwestern metropolitan area, USA. SUBJECTS: Low-income caregiver/child (aged 9-12 years) dyads (n 39). RESULTS: Pairwise comparisons showed that child dinner vegetable intake for the strategy 'Serve at least two vegetables with dinner meals' was greater than intake for each of two other strategies: 'Pair vegetables with other foods the child likes' and 'Eat dinner together with an adult(s) modelling vegetable consumption'. Overall, caregivers' mean rating of difficulty for implementing strategies was 2·6 (1='not difficult', 10='very difficult'). Households had a mean of ten different types of vegetables available. Children reported a rating ≥5 for seventeen types of vegetable on a labelled hedonic scale (1='hate it', 5-6='it's okay', 10='like it a lot'). CONCLUSIONS: Behavioural economics-informed strategies are feasible to implement during dinner meals, with some strategies differing by how much they influence vegetable intake among low-income children in the home.
Entities:
Keywords:
Behavioural economics; Children; Home setting; Low-income; Vegetables