Alyssa Moran (
Anne Thorndike is an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and the Division of General Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, in Boston.
Health Aff (Millwood). 2019 Sep;38(9):1557-1566. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2018.05420.
The high cost of fruit and vegetables can be a barrier to healthy eating, particularly among lower-income households with children. We examined the effects of a financial incentive on purchases at a single supermarket by primary shoppers from low-income households who had at least one child. Participation in an in-store Cooking Matters event was requested for incentivized subjects but optional for their nonincentivized controls. The sample included but was not limited to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participants. Compared to the controls, incentivized shoppers-who were given an immediate 50 percent discount on qualifying fruit and vegetables-increased weekly spending on those items by 27 percent; this change was for fresh produce. There was no change in purchases of frozen and canned produce or unhealthful foods. Estimated annual average daily consumption of fruit and vegetables by the incentivized shoppers and by one designated child per incentivized household did not change. Attendance at Cooking Matters events was low. These findings support financial incentive programs to increase fruit and vegetable purchasing but suggest that effective complementary approaches are needed to improve diet quality.
水果和蔬菜价格高昂可能成为健康饮食的障碍，尤其是对有孩子的低收入家庭而言。我们研究了一项经济激励措施对至少有一个孩子的低收入家庭主要购物者在一家超市购买行为的影响。有激励措施的参与者被要求参加店内烹饪课程，但他们的无激励措施对照者可选择参加。该样本不仅包括补充营养援助计划参与者，还包括其他参与者。与对照组相比，有激励措施的购物者（购买符合条件的水果和蔬菜可立即享受 50%的折扣）每周在这些商品上的支出增加了 27%；这一变化是针对新鲜农产品的。冷冻和罐装农产品以及不健康食品的购买量没有变化。有激励措施的购物者和每个有激励措施的家庭指定的一名儿童的水果和蔬菜日均估计摄入量没有变化。参加烹饪课程的人数很少。这些发现支持实施经济激励计划以增加水果和蔬菜的购买量，但表明需要采取有效的补充方法来提高饮食质量。
