A study of the importance of education and cost incentives on individual food choices at the Harvard School of Public Health cafeteria.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the importance of cost and awareness of health- or disease-promoting properties of foods and meals for choices by customers of a cafeteria.


METHODS
A non-randomized intervention study.


METHODS
A medium size cafeteria in the Harvard School of Public Health.


METHODS
Customers of the cafeteria mainly consisting of public health students, faculty, and school staff and workers from the medical campus.


METHODS
The purchase of healthy foods and dishes was subsidized and their prices reduced by 20%. This promotion was accompanied by the distribution of educational material.


METHODS
Change in consumption of healthy and less healthy foods.


METHODS
The geometric mean was used to calculate the change in consumption.


RESULTS
During the intervention, we observed a 6% increase in the consumption of healthy foods (95% confidence interval [CI]; 5% to 8%), and a 2% decline in the consumption of less-healthy foods (95% CI; -1% to -4%). After the prices returned to their original levels, the consumption of healthy foods increased further to 17% (95% CI; 13% to 20%) and a 2% decline in the consumption of less-healthy foods (95% CI; % 1 to -5%) persisted.


CONCLUSIONS
Subsidizing healthful meals and educating consumers about the importance of a healthy diet can result in a modest increase in the selection of healthy foods and meals that can be maintained beyond the periods of subsidy and promotion.
Michels
Karin B
KB
Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA. kmichels@rics.bwh.harvard.edu
Bloom
Barry R
BR
Riccardi
Paul
P
Rosner
Bernard A
BA
Willett
Walter C
WC
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D005502:Food / Q000191:economics*; D005518:Food Preferences; D005522:Food Services / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards; D058870:Food, Organic; D006266:Health Education / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D009747:Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D014495:Universities