Carry-out Restaurant Intervention Increases Purchases of Healthy Food

Abstract

A pilot multiphase environmental intervention (February to September 2011) was conducted in 4 intervention and 4 comparison carry-outs in low-income urban areas of Baltimore, Maryland, to examine the association between exposure to a point-of-purchase intervention and purchasing behavior among customers (n = 186). Intervention exposure score (IES; range: 0–24) combined the number of intervention materials seen. Multivariate linear regression calculated an adjusted beta-coefficient (β) and 95% confidence intervals for a diversity of healthy items (DHI) purchased, adjusting for sociodemographic and eating out behavioral factors. Intervention customers purchased 4.5 DHI, whereas comparison customers purchased less than 1 (P < .001). Those who reported high intervention exposure purchased more DHI (β = 5.0, 95% confidence interval, 2.3–7.7) than those with low exposure. An environmental intervention at carry-outs increased healthy item purchasing among low-income consumers.

KEYWORDS:

• food away from home
• carry-out
• food desert
• healthy food
• low-income
• prepared food
• African American
• intervention