The effect of healthier menu item price reductions in the out-of-home food sector on energy purchased and consumed: a restaurant-based pilot experiment.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Frequent out-of-home food sector (OOHFS) use is associated with poor dietary intake and obesity. There are limited real-world studies on pricing interventions to encourage healthy eating in the OOHFS. We performed a pilot study to collect preliminary trial data on the potential impact of a price reduction intervention on healthier menu items on purchasing and consumption of kilocalories (kcal) in a full-serviced restaurant among people from both lower and higher socioeconomic position (SEP).

Methods

The main trial design was a pre vs. post price reduction comparison (within-subjects), where participants (adults aged ≥ 18 years) received a control menu with standard pricing at visit 1 and a menu with price manipulations (30% reduction for healthy items) at visit 2.

SUBMITTER: Witkam R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12096655 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature