Researchers in Japan are testing whether special programs in supermarkets can help older people eat a wider variety of healthy foods. As people age, eating different types of nutritious foods becomes really important to stay strong and healthy. This study will work with 15 supermarkets to see if teaching shoppers about nutrition, providing helpful information, and offering support can make a real difference in what older adults choose to eat. The researchers will track participants for three years to see if these supermarket-based programs actually work better than regular shopping without the extra help.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether special health programs set up in supermarkets can help older Japanese adults eat more different types of healthy foods
  • Who participated: The study will involve older adults who shop at 15 different supermarkets in two regions of Japan (Yamanashi and Nagano). Seven supermarkets will offer the new program, and eight will continue as normal for comparison
  • Key finding: This is a study plan, not yet completed research. The researchers will measure dietary variety using a special score and track changes over three years to see if the supermarket programs help people eat better
  • What it means for you: If successful, this approach could make it easier for older adults to improve their eating habits by getting help and information right where they shop. However, results won’t be available for several years

The Research Details

This is a planned research study, not yet completed. Researchers will compare two groups of supermarkets: one group will offer special health promotion programs, and the other group will operate normally. The intervention group will provide three types of support: information about healthy eating, education classes, and ongoing support to help shoppers make better food choices. The program uses marketing strategies designed to encourage behavior change. Participants will answer surveys about their eating habits at the start of the study and then again after 1, 2, and 3 years. The main measurement will be a ‘Dietary Variety Score’ that tracks how many different types of foods people eat.

Testing programs in actual supermarkets is important because it shows whether health advice works in real-world settings where people actually shop. Many older adults have difficulty changing eating habits, and making healthy foods easier to find and understand at the supermarket could be more effective than traditional health advice. This approach addresses a real problem: older people sometimes don’t have easy access to information about nutrition right where they make food choices

This study has several strengths: it’s approved by an official research ethics committee, it will track people for three years (long enough to see real changes), it uses multiple measurement points to track progress, and it will analyze different groups separately to see if results apply to everyone. The study is being conducted in Japan with a focus on older adults, so results may be most relevant to that population. The researchers plan to publish results in peer-reviewed journals, which means other experts will review the work

What the Results Show

This is a protocol paper describing a study that is still being planned or conducted. The actual results are not yet available. The researchers will measure success by looking at changes in the Dietary Variety Score—essentially counting how many different types of foods older adults eat. They will compare the group that receives the supermarket intervention with the group that doesn’t. The main results will come from the three-year follow-up point. The study will use statistical methods that account for the fact that people from the same supermarket may be more similar to each other than people from different supermarkets.

The researchers plan to look at whether the program works differently for different groups of people (for example, younger versus older seniors, or people with different income levels). They will also conduct sensitivity analyses, which means checking whether their results hold up even when they change how they measure things slightly. This helps ensure the findings are reliable and not just due to chance

Previous research shows that eating a variety of foods is important for preventing frailty in older adults, but there hasn’t been much research on whether supermarket-based programs actually work. Most health programs happen in clinics or community centers, not where people shop. This study is innovative because it tests whether meeting people in supermarkets—where they make actual food choices—is more effective than traditional approaches

Since this is a protocol paper, we don’t yet know the actual limitations of the results. However, potential limitations include: the study is only in Japan, so results may not apply to other countries; it focuses on supermarket shoppers, so it may not reach older adults who don’t shop regularly; and changing eating habits takes time, so some people may drop out before the study ends. The study is not fully randomized, which means the two groups of supermarkets might be different in ways that affect results

The Bottom Line

This is a study plan, so there are no final recommendations yet. However, the approach being tested—providing nutrition information, education, and support at supermarkets—appears promising based on current knowledge about how older adults learn and make food choices. Once results are available in a few years, they may support recommending similar programs in supermarkets

This research is most relevant to older adults in Japan and potentially other countries who want to improve their eating habits. It’s also important for supermarket managers, public health officials, and healthcare providers who work with older people. The findings may be less relevant to younger people or those who don’t shop at supermarkets

The study will take three years to complete. Researchers will collect data at baseline, then at 1 year, 2 years, and 3 years. The main results won’t be available until the study is finished and the data is analyzed, which means we should expect results around 2027-2028

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track the number of different food groups eaten each day (vegetables, fruits, grains, proteins, dairy) to measure dietary variety. Users could photograph meals or log foods to see their variety score increase over time
  • Use the app to set a goal of trying one new healthy food each week at the supermarket. The app could send reminders before shopping trips and suggest new foods to try based on nutritional variety
  • Weekly check-ins to log different foods eaten, with a monthly summary showing dietary variety trends. The app could celebrate milestones like ’tried 5 new vegetables this month’ to encourage continued behavior change

This article describes a research study that is still in progress. The findings discussed are based on the study protocol, not final results. This information is for educational purposes only and should not replace advice from your doctor or healthcare provider. Before making significant changes to your diet, especially if you have health conditions or take medications, please consult with a healthcare professional. Individual results may vary, and what works for one person may not work for another.