Targeted Food Incentives to Improve Diet Quality and Health Among Adults

The purpose of this study is to test whether individual-level targeted price incentives for
healthier foods can improve the diet quality of grocery purchases made by adults in
comparison to a "one size fits all" approach. To test this, the investigators plan to
implement a 8-month randomized controlled cross-over trial. The intervention group will
receive a small discount for using their loyalty card and weekly coupons for healthier foods
(e.g. fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and seafood, low-fat dairy) that are
selected based on the individual's past purchase history, dietary preferences, their baseline
diet quality, and their estimated likelihood of using the coupon. Individualized coupons will
be automatically sent to customers' loyalty cards each week, and separate emails with
appropriate nutrition education and information about the coupons will be sent to
participants weekly. The control group will receive a small discount for using their loyalty
cards during the first phase of the study (3-months), occasional untargeted coupons, and
weekly emails with untargeted nutrition education. Following phase1, there will be a 2-month
washout period, and then the intervention and control groups will cross over for the
remaining 3-months of the study. The investigators will collect purchase data from all
participants as well as food frequency questionnaires and other self-reported behavioral and
health questions at baseline, after phase 1 completion, and after phase 2 completion. The
investigators hypothesize that participants in the intervention group will meaningfully
improve the overall quality of their food purchases (measured using the Grocery Purchase
Quality Index-2016) as well as their overall diet quality (measured using the Healthy Eating
Index 2010.