Feasibility of an Online Grocery Intervention Pilot to Improve Fruit and Vegetable Purchase and Food Security Among Adults With Children Eligible for SNAP.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the feasibility of an online grocery pilot aimed at supporting healthy food purchases for caregivers of individuals with low income.

METHODS

A pretest-posttest pilot study was conducted among 59 primary household food shopper caregivers living ≤ 130% of the poverty line. The 8-week randomized pilot had 4 groups: (1) free delivery-only, (2) trust-targeting SMS, (3) matching credit for online healthy purchases, and (4) grocery list recommendations. The groups received the program concomitantly from October to December, 2022. Feasibility was assessed through the setup of an online grocery account and receipt of the intervention materials via text. Acceptability was assessed via postintervention interviews and participants' ratings of the intervention.

RESULTS

Feasibility was medium-high: 47% created an online grocery account, 61% watched the program tutorial. Acceptability was high: 90% found the tutorial helpful, all received text messages, 82% deemed them useful.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The promising feasibility and acceptability suggest a potential for a fully powered trial behavioral intervention to support online healthy food shopping.