@misc{10481/92698,
year = {2024},
month = {1},
url = {https://hdl.handle.net/10481/92698},
abstract = {Background: Interventions targeting the nutritional quality of grocery shopping have the potential to help improve diet and
health outcomes.
Objective: This study aims to assess the feasibility and acceptability of receiving advice on healthier food purchases through
SwapSHOP, a behaviorally informed smartphone app that allows users to scan barcodes of grocery products from the United
Kingdom, providing nutritional information and personalized swap suggestions to encourage healthier purchases.
Methods: We randomized adult volunteers in a 6-arm parallel-group controlled feasibility trial. Participants used the SwapSHOP
app to record their grocery shopping during a 2-week run-in period and were individually randomized in a 3:1 ratio to either
intervention or control arms within 3 strata related to a nutrient of concern of their choice: saturated fat (SFA), sugar, or salt.
Participants randomized to the intervention received the SwapSHOP app with a healthier swap function, goal setting, and
personalized feedback. Participants in the control group were instructed to use a simpler version of the app to log all their food
purchases without receiving any guidance or advice. The primary outcome was the feasibility of progression to a full trial, including
app use and follow-up rates at 6 weeks. The secondary outcomes included other feasibility outcomes, process and qualitative
measures, and exploratory effectiveness outcomes to assess changes in the nutrient content of the purchased foods.
Results: A total of 112 participants were randomized into 3 groups: SFA (n=38 intervention and n=13 control), sugar (n=40
intervention and n=15 control), and salt (n=5 intervention and n=1 control, not analyzed). The 2 progression criteria were met
for SFA and sugar: 81% (30/37) and 87% (34/39) of intervention participants in the SFA and sugar groups, respectively, used
the app to obtain healthier swaps, and 89% (68/76) of intervention participants and 96% (23/24) of control participants completed
follow-up by scanning all purchases over the follow-up period. The process and qualitative outcomes suggested that the intervention
was acceptable and has the potential to influence shopping behaviors. There were reductions of −0.56 g per 100 g (95% CI −1.02
to −0.19) in SFA and −1 g per 100 g (95% CI −1.97 to −0.03) in total sugars across all food purchases in the intervention groups.
Conclusions: People were willing to use the SwapSHOP app to help reduce sugar and SFA (but not salt) in their grocery
shopping. Adherence and follow-up rates suggest that a full trial is feasible. Given the suggestive evidence indicating that the
intervention resulted in reductions in sugars and SFA, a definitive trial is necessary to target improvements in health outcomes.},
organization = {National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaborations Oxford},
organization = {NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) Obesity, Diet and Lifestyle Theme},
organization = {Engineering and Physical Sciences
Research Council},
organization = {British Heart Foundation Clinical Research Training
Fellowship (FS/16/34/32211)},
organization = {Grant RYC2020-028818-I, MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and
“ESF Investing in your future” (Ministry of Science and Innovation, Spain)},
publisher = {JMIR Publications},
keywords = {Swaps},
keywords = {Mobile app},
keywords = {Supermarket},
title = {A Behaviorally Informed Mobile App to Improve the Nutritional Quality of Grocery Shopping (SwapSHOP):Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial},
doi = {10.2196/45854},
author = {Piernas Sánchez, Carmen María and Lee, Charlotte and Hobson, Alice and Harmer, Georgina and Riches, Sarah Payne and Noreik, Michaela and Jebb, Susan A.},
}