Behavioral Economics and Healthy Food Choice Research (BECR)
Title
USDA Duke-UNC Center for Behavioral Economics and Healthy Food Choice Research (BECR)
Funding Dates
2014-2018
Description
The Duke-UNC Center for Behavioral Economics and Healthy Food Choice Research (BECR) was established in 2014 to research behavioral interventions that would be policy-relevant, scalable, and persistent over time. As part of this effort, the research team at UNC conducted listening sessions with Women, Infant, and Children Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (WIC) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients, grocery retailers, and frontline WIC and SNAP staff members to learn about how to increase the cost-effectiveness of WIC and other USDA programs intended to improve nutrition, food security, and the health of Americans. Researchers additionally partnered with food retailers to implement behavioral nudges on healthy food choice, and performed secondary data analyses on sales data.
Research Areas
Cardiovascular Health, Obesity, and Diabetes
Healthy Food Access
Nutrition & Physical Activity
Principal Investigator
Alice Ammerman, DrPH
Funding
US Department of Agriculture/Duke University
Links
Duke-UNC Center for Behavioral Economics and Healthy Food Choice Research (BECR)