Recruiting

Whole Grains

Sponsor:

University of Pennsylvania

Code:

NCT07167004

Conditions

Type 2 Diabetes

Type II Diabetes Mellitus

Type II Diabetes

Pre-diabetes

Pre-diabetic

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 45 - 70

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Marketing Nudges Only

Marketing Nudges + Dynamically Adapted Financial Incentives

Study Details

Brief summary:

Only 2% of Americans meet the recommended levels of whole grain consumption, despite its association with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. This study aims to assess if consumers with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes can be encouraged to switch from buying refined grain products to whole grain products when shopping for groceries online. The study will use personalized marketing strategies, with or without discounts which adjust based on purchasing behavior, to promote whole grain consumption.

Conditions

Type 2 Diabetes

Type II Diabetes Mellitus

Type II Diabetes

Pre-diabetes

Pre-diabetic

Study ID

NCT07167004

Start date

Oct 14, 2025

Status verified date

Aug, 2026

Completion date

Feb 16, 2027

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Feb 16, 2027

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 45 - 70

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 45 - 70 years.
  • Able to provide consent.
  • Resident of Philadelphia, Bucks, Delaware, Chester, or Montgomery Counties in Pennsylvania.
  • Consume <5 servings of whole grains per day.
  • Use online grocery shopping at least once per month.
  • Have access to a credit or debit card to pay for groceries purchased.
  • Have reliable internet access.
  • Speak English.
  • Penn Medicine patient diagnosed with prediabetes or diabetes (identified using ICD-10 codes R73.03, E11).

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Does not meet all the inclusion criteria.
  • Not able to speak English.
  • Not able to provide consent.

Study Design

Enrollment

216 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Prevention

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

no intervention: Control

Completion of weekly grocery shopping in a version of the study store without any interventions (i.e., without marketing nudges and financial incentives)

experimental: Marketing Nudges Only

Marketing nudges encouraging whole grain purchasing, including displaying whole grains (e.g., whole wheat bread, brown rice) at the top of the study's online grocery store, featuring whole grain banner displays, and offering product swaps to highlight whole grain alternatives

experimental: Marketing Nudges + Dynamically Adapted Financial Incentives

Marketing nudges encouraging whole grain purchasing, including displaying whole grains (e.g., whole wheat bread, brown rice) at the top of the study's online grocery store, featuring whole grain banner displays, and offering product swaps to highlight whole grain alternatives, plus personalized financial incentives with individual incentive amounts optimized weekly based on prior whole grain purchasing behavior and engagement

Interventions

Marketing Nudges Only

Marketing nudges encouraging whole grain purchasing, including displaying whole grains (e.g., whole wheat bread, brown rice) at the top of the study's online grocery store, featuring whole grain banner displays, and offering product swaps to highlight whole grain alternatives

Marketing Nudges + Dynamically Adapted Financial Incentives

Marketing nudges encouraging whole grain purchasing, including displaying whole grains (e.g., whole wheat bread, brown rice) at the top of the study's online grocery store, featuring whole grain banner displays, and offering product swaps to highlight whole grain alternatives, plus personalized financial incentives with individual incentive amounts optimized weekly based on prior whole grain purchasing behavior and engagement

Primary outcome measure

  • Change in calories purchased from products that are majority whole grains over time [ Time Frame: 18 weeks ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Emily Dzieniszewski, MPH

215-898-0954Emily.Dzieniszewski@Pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Julianna Catania, MPH

julianna.catania@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Locations

University of Pennsylvania

Recruiting

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19104

Contacts

Emily Dzieniszewski, MPH

215-898-0954Emily.Dzieniszewski@Pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Julianna Catania, MPH

julianna.catania@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Principal Investigator:

Sophia V Hua, PhD, MPH

More Information

Sponsor

University of Pennsylvania

Last update posted

Aug 6, 2026

Last verified

Aug, 2026

Keywords

  • chronic disease
  • diabetes
  • diabetes mellitus
  • type II diabetes
  • type 2 diabetes
  • pre-diabetes
  • prediabetes
  • whole grains
  • behavioral economics
  • marketing nudges
  • financial incentives
  • food is medicine

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-04. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by University of Pennsylvania on 2026-08-06.