Could a small change in menu design lead to healthier habits in China? A recent study explored this idea by looking at food delivery apps. Researchers wanted to see if default menu options could encourage people to order dishes with less salt.
In the study published in the journal Public Health, researchers discovered that just providing health information wasn’t enough to change consumer behavior. However, by adding a ‘salt submenu’ where diners had to select between regular and reduced salt options, the likelihood of ordering reduced-salt dishes increased. The best result came from setting the default to ‘reduced salt.’
These findings highlight an important trend in public health: simple changes in how options are presented can lead to better eating choices. Researchers found that traditional education campaigns often fall short without changes in decision-making structures. Instead, this study emphasizes the power of “nudges” — subtle changes in how choices are framed.
Excessive salt intake is a pressing concern affecting many, especially in China, where around 27.5% of adults have hypertension. A staggering 9.3 grams of salt are consumed daily per person, nearly double the 5 grams recommended by the World Health Organization. This excessive intake, coupled with rising urbanization and the popularity of meal delivery apps, raises the stakes for effective dietary interventions.
During the study, which ran from February to May 2021, researchers collaborated with 903 restaurants across several Chinese cities. They compared two strategies: using educational messages about salt and modifying the menu to include a salt selection. Surprisingly, the educational messages didn’t significantly impact ordering habits, while the modified menus did.
The highest rate of reduced-salt orders came from menus that set the default to ‘reduced salt.’ This change potentially could lead to over 160 million additional reduced-salt orders annually if adopted nationwide. That’s a significant move toward healthier eating!
But the research didn’t just focus on numbers. It also revealed a tension in restaurants. Some hesitated to offer the ‘reduced salt’ option by default because they worried about consumer preferences. This highlights a key challenge. Effective health strategies must not only benefit consumers but also align with what businesses think their customers want.
While the results are promising, the study had limitations, such as small sample sizes and varied participation rates among restaurants. More extensive research is needed to validate these findings across different settings and to understand long-term consumer behavior changes.
Overall, integrating simple behavioral nudges into food delivery services can play a big part in public health. As meal delivery apps grow in popularity, they could serve as valuable platforms for encouraging healthier choices, especially in countries like China where dietary habits need urgent improvement.
For more details, check the original study in Public Health.
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Source linkFood, Education, Public Health, Research
