Kroger Health, the healthcare division of The Kroger Co., funded the University of Cincinnati to execute an independent clinical research study to learn how retailers serve as an important healthcare destination by leveraging food and nutrition education to support the health and wellbeing of shoppers.
Supermarket and Web-based Intervention Targeting Nutrition, (SuperWIN), was a randomized controlled trial aimed at increasing diet quality and decreasing cardiovascular risk by promoting a heart-healthy diet through nutrition counseling provided by a registered dietitian.
The study results, announced at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session & Expo yesterday, show that:
• In-aisle teaching with a Kroger Health registered dietitian significantly increased adherence to a heart-healthy dietary pattern compared to traditional nutrition counseling alone. Adherence was further improved when in-aisle teaching was paired with education on how to use online shopping technologies, including grocery delivery service, the Kroger app and website, and OptUp, Kroger Health's industry-leading nutrition rating system to simplify and track healthier shopping.
• Retailers like Kroger serve as an important healthcare destination, aligning with recently surveyed consumers who identified their primary food stores (48 percent) as institutions helping them stay healthy.
"We have always believed in the power of Food as Medicine in managing and preventing disease before it starts," said Colleen Lindholz, president, Kroger Health, in a statement. "The SuperWIN study provides real world evidence that our dietitians can help customers eat better and live healthier lives through use of technology, education, and shopping tools.”
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