A Community-Based, Participatory, Multi-Component Intervention Increased Sales of Healthy Foods in Local Supermarkets-The Health and Local Community Project (SoL)

Ulla Toft; Tine Buch-Andersen; Paul Bloch; Helene Christine Reinbach; Bjarne Bruun Jensen; Bent Egberg Mikkelsen; Jens Aagaard-Hansen; Charlotte Glümer

doi:10.3390/ijerph20032478

A Community-Based, Participatory, Multi-Component Intervention Increased Sales of Healthy Foods in Local Supermarkets-The Health and Local Community Project (SoL)

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Jan 30;20(3):2478. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20032478.

Authors

Ulla Toft^{1

2}, Tine Buch-Andersen¹, Paul Bloch³, Helene Christine Reinbach⁴, Bjarne Bruun Jensen³, Bent Egberg Mikkelsen⁵, Jens Aagaard-Hansen^{3

6}, Charlotte Glümer⁷

Affiliations

¹ Center for Clinical Research and Prevention, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Nordre Fasanvej 57, 2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark.
² Department of Public Health, Section of Social Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, 1353 Copenhagen, Denmark.
³ Health Promotion Research, Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen, Borgmester Ib Juuls Vej 83, 2730 Herlev, Denmark.
⁴ Department of Food Science, Section for Food Design and Consumer Behaviour, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 30, Building 2-74, 5th Floor, Room C505, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
⁵ Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 23, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
⁶ SA MRC Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2000, South Africa.
⁷ Center for Diabetes, Copenhagen Municipality, Vesterbrogade 121, 1620 Copenhagen, Denmark.

Abstract

Project SoL was a 19-month (September 2012 to April 2014) community-based multi-component intervention based on the supersetting approach that was designed to promote healthier eating and physical activity among children and their families. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of a multi-component intervention (level 1) and a mass media intervention alone (level 2) compared to a control area (level 3) on food sales. The design was quasi-experimental. Weekly sales data for all Coop supermarkets in the intervention and control areas were analysed via longitudinal linear mixed-effects analyses. Significant increases in the sales of fish (total) (29%; p = 0.003), canned fish (31%; p = 0.025) and oatmeal (31%; p = 0.003) were found for the level 1 intervention area compared to the control area. In the level 2 intervention area, significant increases in the sales of vegetables (total) (17%; p = 0.038), fresh vegetables (20%; p = 0.01), dried fruit (51%; p = 0.022), oatmeal (19%; p = 0.008) and wholegrain pasta (58%; p = 0.0007) were found compared to the control area. The sales of canned fish increased by 30% in the level 1 area compared to the level 2 area (p = 0.025). This study demonstrated significant increases in the sales of healthy foods, both in the areas with multi-component and mass media interventions alone compared to the control area.

Keywords: food sales; mass media intervention; multi-component intervention; supermarkets; supersetting approach.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Commerce
Diet, Healthy
Fruit*
Seafood
Supermarkets*
Vegetables

Grants and funding

This research was funded by the Nordea-Fonden and the Health Insurance Foundation (Helsefonden, Grant No. 2012B233). Additional support was provided by Aalborg University, Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen and Center for Clinical Research and Prevention.