Systems Science Approaches to Improve Access to Healthier Foods: The FRESH Trial

Conditions

• Healthy Eating Index

Eligibility Criteria

Sex

ALL

Age

18 Years - 75 Years

Healthy Volunteers

Accepted

Interventions

• Multilevel restaurant intervention to improve the food environment — BEHAVIORAL
  FRESH is a restaurant-based intervention in low-income neighborhoods in Baltimore, MD and the Washington, District of Columbia metro area that aims to improve the healthy prepared-food environment for consumers, informed by community members and other stakeholders. FRESH intervention components include food preparation, food access and procurement, and consumer nutrition environment. Activities will take place over 16 months, and include training restaurant chefs to use healthier cooking methods, partnering with restaurant suppliers to offer healthier ingredients, and offering point-of-purchase promotions to educate customers on the healthier promoted food options. Intervention staff will form strong relationships with restaurant owners and chefs via in-person visits at least twice a month. Data from the intervention trial will inform the development of a system dynamics simulation model that will allow stakeholders to test new policy ideas prior to implementation.

Study Details

Working with independently owned restaurants, a common source of calorie-rich, nutrient-poor foods in predominantly minority, low-income urban neighborhoods, has the potential to improve dietary quality, and contribute to cancer prevention. This study uses systems science approaches to improve access to healthier foods in independently owned restaurants by: 1) testing the effects of a novel intervention called FRESH (Focus on Restaurant Engagement to Strengthen Health) on dietary quality, health indicators and other outcomes in African American and Latin communities, and 2) developing a system dynamics model to allow stakeholders to virtually test FRESH strategies in their own communities. The resulting restaurant intervention simulation model offers potential cost savings from avoided trial-and-error testing, and will support community-based cancer prevention.

Key Dates

Start date

Jun 1, 2023

Status verified

May 2026

Primary completion

Oct 31, 2026

Completion

Oct 31, 2026

Study Design

Enrollment

756 participants (estimated)

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

PREVENTION

Arms

• Experimental: Restaurants receiving FRESH intervention
  Restaurants enrolled in the experimental arm of will FRESH undergo activities aimed to improve their healthy food offerings at their restaurants.
• No Intervention: Restaurants not receiving FRESH intervention
  Restaurants will be enrolled in the study, but not receive the FRESH intervention.

Primary Outcome Measure

Change in Customer Dietary Quality [ Time Frame: 1 hour, 24 months apart ]

Central Contacts

• Joel Gittlesohn, PhD
  (410)955-3927
  [email protected]

Locations (1)

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