A Cluster-Randomized Evaluation of the SuperShelf Intervention in Choice-Based Food Pantries

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Behavioral Economics
• Nutrition Science

Background:

• Food pantries serve populations at risk of diet-related diseases.
• Interventions in food pantries can potentially improve client health outcomes.
• Behavioral economics strategies may influence food selection in food pantries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a cluster-randomized, behavioral intervention in food pantries.
• To determine if the intervention improved client diet quality and cardiovascular health.
• To assess the impact of technical assistance and behavioral economics on healthy food selection.

Main Methods:

• Sixteen Minnesota food pantries were randomized to intervention or control groups.
• Clients were enrolled and followed for 1 year, with dietary recalls and Life's Simple 7 (LS7) scores assessed.
• Analysis was adjusted for confounding factors, with outcomes measured by Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015) and LS7 scores.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant differences in overall HEI-2015 or LS7 scores between intervention and control groups.
• Clients in intervention pantries showed improved Refined Grain subcomponent scores (p = .004).
• Clients in control pantries showed worsened Saturated Fat subcomponent scores (p = .019) and improved physical activity (p = .007).

Conclusions:

• The behavioral intervention did not significantly improve overall diet quality or cardiovascular health.
• Targeted improvements in specific dietary components were observed, alongside some negative effects.
• Coordinated, multi-setting efforts are necessary to address health risks in food pantry clients.