Newly published "Supermarket and Web-based
Intervention targeting Nutrition" study validates positive impact
of retail-based dietary interventions
CINCINNATI, April 4,
2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kroger Health, the healthcare
division of The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), funded the University of Cincinnati to execute an independent
clinical research study to learn how retailers, like Kroger, serve
as an important healthcare destination by leveraging food and
nutrition education to support the health and wellbeing of
shoppers. The study, Supermarket and Web-based Intervention
targeting Nutrition (SuperWIN), was a groundbreaking,
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.
"We have always believed in the power of Food as Medicine in
managing and preventing disease before it starts," says
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."
Key Findings:
The study results announced at the
American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session &
Expo held on April 3, 2022, in
Washington, D.C. show that:
- In-aisle teaching with a Kroger Health registered dietitian
significantly increased adherence to a heart-healthy dietary
pattern compared to traditional nutrition counseling alone.
Adherence was further improved when in-aisle teaching was paired
with education on how to use online shopping technologies,
including grocery delivery service, the Kroger app and website, and
OptUP, Kroger Health's industry-leading nutrition rating system to
simplify and track healthier shopping.
- Retailers like Kroger serve as an important healthcare
destination, aligning with recently surveyed consumers who
identified their primary food stores (48%) 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," says Dylan Steen,
MD, of the 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."
"Kroger Health is proud of our partnership with the University of Cincinnati and the SuperWIN trial,"
says 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 SuperWIN trial is the latest evidence supporting Kroger's
Food as Medicine platform and the value of registered dietitians,
the nation's foremost experts in nutrition, 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.
About Kroger Health:
Kroger Health, the healthcare division of The Kroger Co., is one of
America's leading retail healthcare organizations, with over 2,200
pharmacies and 220 clinics in 35 states serving more than 14
million customers. Our team of 22,000 healthcare practitioners -
from pharmacists and nurse practitioners, to dietitians and
technicians – are committed to helping people live healthier lives.
We believe in practicing at the top of our licenses and enabling
"food as medicine" to help prevent or manage certain diseases. We
are dedicated to providing testing and wellness services to help
Americans combat the COVID-19 crisis.
About Kroger:
At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are dedicated to
our Purpose: to Feed the Human Spirit™. We are, across our family
of companies, nearly half a million associates who serve over nine
million customers daily through a seamless digital shopping
experience and 2,800 retail food stores under a variety
of banner names, serving America through food inspiration
and uplift, and creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by
2025. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and
investor relations site.
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kroger-healths-food-as-medicine-platform-recognized-as-a-leading-healthy-lifestyle-approach-by-university-of-cincinnati-study-301516677.html
SOURCE The Kroger Co.