Improving healthy eating in children: Experimental evidence

Gary Charness, Ramon Cobo-Reyes, Erik Eyster, Gabriel Katz, Ángela Sánchez and Matthias Sutter
Additional contact information
Erik Eyster: University of California, Santa Barbara
Gabriel Katz: University of Exeter and Universidad Catolica del Uruguay
Ángela Sánchez: NYU Abu Dhabi

No 47, ECONtribute Discussion Papers Series from University of Bonn and University of Cologne, Germany

Abstract: We present a field experiment to study the effects of non-monetary incentives on healthy food choices of 282 children in elementary schools. Previous interventions have typically paid participants for healthy eating, but this often may not be feasible. We introduce a system where food items are graded based on their nutritional value, involving parents or classmates as change agents by providing them with information regarding the food choices of their children or friends. We find parents’ involvement in the decision process to be particularly beneficial in boosting healthy food choices, with very strong results that persist months after the intervention.

Keywords: Healthy eating; children; parents; non-monetary incentives; field experiment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C93 I12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 81 pages
Date: 2020-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr and nep-exp
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
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https://www.econtribute.de/RePEc/ajk/ajkdps/ECONtribute_047_2020.pdf First version, 2020 (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: Improving Healthy Eating in Children: Experimental Evidence (2020)
Working Paper: Improving healthy eating in children: Experimental evidence (2020)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ajk:ajkdps:047

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