B’more healthy corner stores for moms and kids: Identifying optimal behavioral economic strategies to increase WIC redemptions in small Urban corner stores

Caroline R. Wensel, Angela C.B. Trude, Lisa Poirier, Riyad Alghamdi, Antonio Trujillo, Elizabeth Anderson Steeves, David Paige, Joel Gittelsohn

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) redemption rates have been declining in many low-income urban settings, potentially related to aspects of the food environment. B’more Healthy Corner Stores for Moms and Kids was a feasibility trial in Baltimore City that aimed to test multiple behavioral economic (BE) strategies in 10 corner stores (intervention = eight stores, comparison = two stores), to evaluate their influence on the stocking and redemptions of WIC foods. Tested strategies included in-person storeowner training, point of purchase promotion, product placement, and grouping of products in a display. All four strategies were feasible and implemented with high reach, dose delivered, and fidelity. Additionally, text messaging was found to be an acceptable form of intervention reinforcement for storeowners. Analyses to assess change in stocking of WIC foods, total sales of WIC foods, and sales of WIC foods to WIC clients, revealed consistent positive changes after implementation of the store owner training strategy, while changes after the implementation of other strategies were mixed. Furthermore, WIC food sales to WIC clients significantly increased after the simultaneous implementation of two strategies, compared to one (p > 0.05). Results suggest that store owner training was the most influential strategy and that the implementation of more BE strategies does not necessarily lead to proportional increases in stocking and sales. Selected BE strategies appear to be an effective way of increasing stocking and sales of WIC foods in small urban food stores.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number64
JournalInternational journal of environmental research and public health
Volume16
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2019

Keywords

  • Behavioral economics
  • Food environment
  • Nutrition intervention
  • Public health
  • Underserved populations
  • WIC

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pollution
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
  • Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'B’more healthy corner stores for moms and kids: Identifying optimal behavioral economic strategies to increase WIC redemptions in small Urban corner stores'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this