Cincinnati, Ohio-based Kroger Health, the healthcare division of The Kroger Co., partnered with the University of Cincinnati to execute an independent clinical research study to learn how retailers, like Kroger, serve as a healthcare destination by leveraging food and nutrition education to support the health and wellbeing of shoppers.
“Kroger Health is proud of our partnership with the University of Cincinnati and the SuperWIN trial,” said Bridget Wojciak, director of nutrition, Kroger Health. “We are striving every day to elevate the grocery store as a destination for preventive healthcare. Our food as medicine strategy is a dedicated, educated, and personalized approach to eating and enjoying food to prevent illness before it starts, and this study has shown that our strategy works.”
The study, “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 results were announced at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific session and expo April 3 in Washington, D.C.
“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. “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.”
The study results show that:
- In-aisle teaching with a Kroger Health registered dietitian increased dedication to a heart-healthy dietary pattern compared to traditional nutrition counseling alone. Participation was further improved when in-aisle teaching was paired with education on how to use online shopping technologies such as OptUP, Kroger Health’s nutrition rating system to simplify and track healthier shopping.
- Retailers like Kroger serve as an important healthcare destination, aligning with 48 percent of consumers who identified their primary food stores as institutions helping them stay healthy.
“SuperWIN is probably the most scientifically rigorous study of a comprehensive healthcare intervention ever conducted with the retail industry,” said Dylan Steen, MD, division of cardiovascular health and disease at the UC College of Medicine. “In terms of purchasing data, retailers have been collecting these data for decades. These data are now progressively being linked to nutrition information and thus could be used by dietitians, nurses, pharmacists, and physicians to provide the best, individualized guidance to patients.”
The SuperWIN trial is the latest evidence supporting Kroger’s food as medicine platform and the value of registered dietitians, providing the public with evidence-based nutrition care. Kroger has since expanded access to nutrition care through its telenutrition program, offering two-way video chat appointments with Kroger Health registered dietitians across the country.
To download the SuperWIN report, visit here.
