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Greater participation in the Produce Plus healthy food incentive program supports food security

2018
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Poster Description

Introduction: The Produce Plus Program (PPP), a farmers’ market-based healthy food incentive program, provides income qualified Washington, DC residents with vouchers worth $10/market/day for fruit and vegetable (F&V) purchases. This study evaluated whether frequency of PPP participation is associated with changes in food security status (FSS) and F&V intake.Methods: PPP participants were invited to complete a survey which included the NCI Fruit and Vegetable Screener and a modified 6 question USDA Household Food Security Module at markets during the PPP-season (June-September 2016) and again by mail during the off-season (March-April 2017). Chi-square and paired t-tests were used to compare FSS and F&V intake between seasons by high vs low frequency of participation, dichotomized by mean number of vouchers received during the PPP-season among all participants (mean=14).Results: Eighty-nine PPP participants completed the survey during both seasons. Among the 59 survey participants who received ≥14 vouchers during the PPP-season, those reporting being food secure decreased from 32(54.2%) during the PPP-season to 19(32.2%) during the off-season (p=0.04). Among the 30 survey participants who received <14 vouchers during the PPP-season, with those reporting being food secure decreasing from 17(56.7%) during the PPP-season to 11(36.67%) during the off-season (p=0.86). Among the 59 survey participants who received ≥14 vouchers during the PPP-season, mean reported daily F&V intake decreased from 5.1 servings per day during the PPP-season to 4.19 servings per day during the off-season (p=0.12). Among the 30 survey participants who received <14 vouchers during the PPP-season, mean reported daily F&V intake decreased from 5.9 servings per day during the PPP-season to 4.4 servings per day during the off-season (p=0.34).Discussion: Greater participation in the PPP appears to support FSS, but does not alter F&V intake. Lack of change in F&V intake may be because the program attracts participants who already prefer F&V, consistent with our previous findings that PPP participants reported higher median F&V intake compared with local Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey respondents with similar incomes.

Bibliographic Details

Kevin Mathieu; Nadia Rosas; Sara Lupolt; Jordan Carter; Lillie Rosen; Amelia Peterson-Kosecki; Michael Long; Kim Robien

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