Changes in Consumer Purchases in Stores Participating in an Obesity Prevention Initiative

Abstract

Introduction: From 2011 to 2014, small stores in three communities participated in a community-wide obesity prevention initiative. The study aimed to determine how participation in the initiative influenced store environments and consumer purchases.

Study design: Pre- and post-intervention without control. Structured observations of the store environments and intercept surveys of adult shoppers at all stores, and of children at two stores, conducted at baseline and follow-up. Manager/owner interviews regarding perceived impacts of the intervention conducted at follow-up.

Setting/participants: Shoppers at nine small stores in three diverse, low-income communities in Northern California.

Intervention: The store interventions were determined locally with combinations of strategies such as product displays, healthier options, marketing and promotion, store layout, and facility improvements that were implemented to varying degrees at each site.

Main outcome measures: Changes in store environments and purchases of select foods and beverages.

Results: Stores experienced consistent, but not always significant, declines in purchases of sweets and chips and increases in purchases of fruits and vegetables at select stores. Decreases in purchases of targeted sugar-sweetened beverages were offset by increases in purchases of other sugar-sweetened beverages. Changes in store environments and promotional activities varied widely from store to store and corresponded to variations in changes in purchasing. The owners/managers perceived benefits to their bottom line and community/customer relations, but challenges were identified that may account for the varied degree of implementation.

Conclusions: Substantive improvements in fruit and vegetable availability and promotion were needed to achieve a measurable impact on purchases but reducing purchases of unhealthy foods, like sweets and chips, required a less consistent intensive effort. These findings suggest it may be challenging to achieve the consistent and targeted implementation of changes and ongoing promotional efforts at a large enough proportion of stores where residents shop that would be required to get measurable impacts at the community level.

Supplement information: This article is part of a supplement entitled Building Thriving Communities Through Comprehensive Community Health Initiatives, which is sponsored by Kaiser Permanente, Community Health.