Point-of-purchase messages framed in terms of cost, convenience, taste, and energy improve healthful snack selection in a college foodservice setting

Objective To examine the effects of a point-of-purchase (POP) intervention emphasizing various properties of healthful food items on college students' snack purchases. Design In Study 1, vegetable baskets (containing cut pieces of vegetables), fruit baskets (containing cut pieces of fruit), pretzels, and yogurt were promoted in separate POP interventions. Food sales were monitored over 2-we ek baseline, 4-week intervention, and 2-week follow-up periods In Study 2, yogurt was promoted across a 2-week baseline, 2-week intervention, and 2-we ek follow-up periods and an intercept survey was conducted. Subjects/setting Approximately 2,280 university students were potentially e xposed to the intervention, and 72 students responded to the intercept surv ey. Intervention POP messages were placed on an I I x 17-in poster located at t he cafeteria entrance, and two 4 x 2.5-in signs placed next to the targeted food item. Messages emphasized the Budget-friendly, Energizing, Sensory/ta ste, Time efficient/convenient (BEST) stimulus properties of food. Main outcome measures Daily sales of the targeted food items. Statistical analyses performed Analyses of variance with Tukey post hoe tes ts were used to compare food sales during the baseline, intervention, and f ollow-up periods, Results In Study 1, yogurt and pretzel sales increased during the intervent ion and post-intervention periods (P < .05). Interventions had no effect oi l fruit basket and vegetable basket sales (P > .05), but whole fruit sales increased during the fruit basket intervention and follow-up (P<.05). In St udy 2, yogurt sales were significantly greater during the intervention and follow-up periods than at baseline (P<less than>.01). Applications/conclusions Using the BEST properties in POP interventions may be beneficial in promoting the consumption of healthful foods among univer sity students, particularly when the targeted foods are priced comparably t o less healthful foods.