The FoodCoach study is a 9-week randomized controlled trial from the University of St.Gallen and the University Hospital of Bern, supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation #188402 and by Sanitas Management AG. Sanitas Management AG supports the recruiting of study participants without interfering with the study content. FoodCoach aims to investigate the effectiveness of improving people's food shopping healthiness by providing automated food shopping recommendations. The results of the study could possibly help improve the health status of the Swiss population and beyond in a low-cost and automated manner. The investigators collect participant grocery data via the loyalty card programs "Migros Cumulus" and "Coop Supercard" after obtaining participants' informed consent. From this data, the investigators generate automated recommendations that are based on the Nutri-Score framework and expertise of dieticians at the University Hospital of Bern. After sign-up, participants are randomized into a treatment and a control group. The treatment group receives automated recommendations via the FoodCoach Web Application, while the control group only receives a report about their food shopping by email after the intervention phase. Both groups need to finish the same onboarding survey where the investigators collect basic demographic information. After the intervention, the treatment group will receive a post-study survey containing two parts via email. Part 1 includes questions about the ease of use, interface and satisfaction and usefulness of the FoodCoach app. Part 2 includes questions about the participants' weight and height, the motivation to shop healthily and sustainably. The control group will receive a post-study survey which only contains part 2 as described before via email.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
60
The FoodCoach app displays transparent analysis and recommendations regarding participant's food purchases recorded on their loyalty cards. It tries to help participants understand why and how they should/can shop more healthily, motivating them to change their unhealthy food purchase behavior.
University of St. Gallen
Sankt Gallen, Canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland
Body mass index change
Survey data. Note that the post-study survey is "voluntary" because the investigators cannot force participants to finish it.
Time frame: Baseline, 9 weeks
Food purchase behavior - overall food shopping healthiness change
The overall food shopping healthiness as indicated by Food Standards Agency Nutrient Profiling System Dietary Index
Time frame: Baseline, 9 weeks
Food purchase behavior - fruit purchase change
Loyalty card data
Time frame: Baseline, 9 weeks
Food purchase behavior - vegetable purchase change
Loyalty card data
Time frame: Baseline, 9 weeks
Food purchase behavior - protein food purchase change
Loyalty card data
Time frame: Baseline, 9 weeks
Food purchase behavior - processed food purchase change
Loyalty card data
Time frame: Baseline, 9 weeks
Food purchase behavior - beverage purchase change
Loyalty card data
Time frame: Baseline, 9 weeks
Food purchase behavior - oils, fats, sauces, nuts and seeds purchase change
Loyalty card data
Time frame: Baseline, 9 weeks
Food purchase behavior - grains, potatoes and legumes purchase change
Loyalty card data
Time frame: Baseline, 9 weeks
Food purchase behavior - energy purchase change
Loyalty card data
Time frame: Baseline, 9weeks
Food purchase behavior - sugar purchase change
Loyalty card data
Time frame: Baseline, 9weeks
Food purchase behavior - saturated fatty acids purchase change
Loyalty card data
Time frame: Baseline, 9weeks
Food purchase behavior - sodium purchase change
Loyalty card data
Time frame: Baseline, 9weeks
Food purchase behavior - fiber purchase change
Loyalty card data
Time frame: Baseline, 9weeks
Food purchase behavior - protein purchase change
Loyalty card data
Time frame: Baseline, 9weeks
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