title: Supermarket Healthy Eating for Life (SHELf): protocol of a randomised controlled trial promoting healthy food and beverage consumption through price reduction and skill-building strategies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In the context of rising food prices, there is a need for evidence on the most effective approaches for promoting healthy eating. Individually-targeted behavioural interventions for increasing food-related skills show promise, but are unlikely to be effective in the absence of structural supports. Fiscal policies have been advocated as a means of promoting healthy eating and reducing obesity and nutrition-related disease, but there is little empirical evidence of their effectiveness. This paper describes the Supermarket Healthy Eating for LiFe (SHELf) study, a randomised controlled trial to investigate effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a tailored skill-building intervention and a price reduction intervention, separately and in combination, against a control condition for promoting purchase and consumption of healthy foods and beverages in women from high and low socioeconomic groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  SHELf comprises a randomised controlled trial design, with participants randomised to receive either (1) a skill-building intervention; (2) price reductions on fruits, vegetables and low-joule soft drink beverages and water; (3) a combination of skill-building and price reductions; or (4) a control condition. Five hundred women from high and low socioeconomic areas will be recruited through a store loyalty card program and local media. Randomisation will occur on receipt of informed consent and baseline questionnaire. An economic evaluation from a societal perspective using a cost-consequences approach will compare the costs and outcomes between intervention and control groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study will build on a pivotal partnership with a major national supermarket chain and the Heart Foundation to investigate the effectiveness of intervention strategies aimed at increasing women's purchasing and consumption of fruits and vegetables and decreased purchasing and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. It will be among the first internationally to examine the effects of two promising approaches - skill-building and price reductions - on diet amongst women.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN39432901.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research, Deakin University, Burwood Hwy, Burwood, 3125, Australia. kylie.ball@deakin.edu.au
authors.forename: Kylie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ball
authors.forename: Sarah A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: McNaughton
authors.forename: Cliona Ni
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Mhurchu
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Andrianopoulos
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Inglis
authors.forename: Briohny
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: McNeilly
authors.forename: Ha N D
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Le
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Leslie
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pollard
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Crawford
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003132:Commerce / Q000191:economics*; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003363:Cost Control; D003657:Decision Making; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005502:Food / Q000191:economics*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D014739:Victoria; D055815:Young Adult