Preventing Chronic Disease | Buying Food on Sale: A Mixed Methods Study With Shoppers at an Urban Supermarket, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2010–2012 - CDC

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Preventing Chronic Disease | Buying Food on Sale: A Mixed Methods Study With Shoppers at an Urban Supermarket, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2010–2012 - CDC

Buying Food on Sale: A Mixed Methods Study With Shoppers at an Urban Supermarket, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2010–2012

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• Abstract
• Introduction
• Methods
• Results
• Discussion
• Acknowledgments
• Author Information
• References
• Tables
• Appendix

Etienne J. Phipps, PhD; Shiriki K. Kumanyika, PhD, MPH; Shana D. Stites, PsyD; S. Brook Singletary, MSW; Clarissa Cooblall, MPH; Katherine Isselmann DiSantis, PhD, MPH

Suggested citation for this article: Phipps EJ, Kumanyika SK, Stites SD, Singletary SB, Cooblall C, DiSantis KI. Buying Food on Sale: A Mixed Methods Study With Shoppers at an Urban Supermarket, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2010–2012. Prev Chronic Dis 2014;11:140174. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd11.140174.

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Abstract

Introduction
The obesity epidemic has drawn attention to food marketing practices that may increase the likelihood of caloric overconsumption and weight gain. We explored the associations of discounted prices on supermarket purchases of selected high-calorie foods (HCF) and more healthful, low-calorie foods (LCF) by a demographic group at high risk of obesity.

Methods
Our mixed methods design used electronic supermarket purchase data from 82 low-income (primarily African American female) shoppers for households with children and qualitative data from focus groups with demographically similar shoppers.

Results
In analyses of 6,493 food purchase transactions over 65 weeks, the odds of buying foods on sale versus at full price were higher for grain-based snacks, sweet snacks, and sugar-sweetened beverages (odds ratios: 6.6, 5.9, and 2.6, respectively; allP < .001) but not for savory snacks. The odds of buying foods on sale versus full price were not higher for any of any of the LCF (P ≥ .07). Without controlling for quantities purchased, we found that spending increased as percentage saved from the full price increased for all HCF and for fruits and vegetables (P ≤ .002). Focus group participants emphasized the lure of sale items and took advantage of sales to stock up.

Conclusion
Strategies that shift supermarket sales promotions from price reductions for HCF to price reductions for LCF might help prevent obesity by decreasing purchases of HCF.

Author Information

Corresponding Author: Etienne J. Phipps, PhD, Einstein Healthcare Network, Director, Center for Urban Health Policy and Research, 5501 Old York Rd, Philadelphia, PA 19141. Telephone: 215-456-1122. E-mail: phippst@einstein.edu.

Author Affiliations: Shiriki K. Kumanyika, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Shana D. Stites, S. Brook Singletary, Clarissa Cooblall, Einstein Healthcare Network, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Katherine Isselmann DiSantis, Arcadia University, Glenside, Pennsylvania.

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