Department of Health Sciences and the EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Prev Med. 2012 May;54(5):323-30. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2012.02.009. Epub 2012 Feb 23.
Fiscal policies may form a solution in improving dietary intake. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of varying taxing and subsiding schemes to stimulate healthier food purchases.
A randomized controlled trial with three levels of price reduction on healthy foods (no; 25%; 50%)×three levels of price increase on unhealthy foods (5%; 10%; 25%) factorial design was used. 150 participants were randomized into one of nine conditions and were asked to purchase groceries at a web-based supermarket. Data were collected in the Netherlands in January-February 2010 and analyzed using analysis of covariance.
Subjects receiving 50% discount purchased significantly more healthy foods than subjects receiving no (mean difference=6.62 items, p<0.01) or 25% discount (mean difference=4.87 items, p<0.05). Moreover, these subjects purchased more vegetables (mean difference=821 g;p<0.05 compared to no discount). However, participants with the highest discount also purchased significantly more calories. No significant effects of the price increases on unhealthy foods were found.
Price decreases are effective in stimulating healthy food purchases, but the proportion of healthy foods remains unaffected. Price increases up to 25% on unhealthier products do not significantly affect food purchases. Future studies are important to validate these results in real supermarkets and across different countries.
财政政策可能是改善饮食摄入的一种解决方案。本研究旨在检验不同征税和补贴计划对促进更健康食品购买的有效性。
采用健康食品降价幅度（无；25%；50%）×不健康食品涨价幅度（5%；10%；25%）三因子析因设计的随机对照试验。150 名参与者被随机分配到九种条件中的一种，并被要求在网上超市购买杂货。数据于 2010 年 1 月至 2 月在荷兰收集，并使用协方差分析进行分析。
接受 50%折扣的受试者购买的健康食品明显多于接受无折扣（平均差异=6.62 件，p<0.01）或 25%折扣（平均差异=4.87 件，p<0.05）的受试者。此外，这些受试者购买的蔬菜也更多（平均差异=821 克；与无折扣相比，p<0.05）。然而，折扣最高的参与者也购买了明显更多的卡路里。未发现不健康食品价格上涨对食品购买有显著影响。
降价可有效刺激健康食品购买，但健康食品的比例不受影响。对不太健康产品的价格上涨 25%不会显著影响食品购买。未来的研究对于在真实超市和不同国家验证这些结果很重要。
