Fruit and Vegetable Purchasing Patterns and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participation: Findings From a Nationally Representative Survey

Tseng, Marilyn; Mastrantonio, Carissa; Glanz, Hunter; Volpe, Richard; Neill, Dawn B.; Nazmi, Aydin

doi:10.1016/j.jand.2020.05.016

Cited by 7 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…For example, families with children will spend the majority of their monthly budget by day 7 and 80% by day 14 [ 55 ]. Similarly, the bulk of fruit and vegetable purchases happen within the first week of benefit distribution and purchases of fruits and vegetables decline at the end of the benefit month [ 56 ]. In our qualitative interviews we heard participants’ expressed willingness to try new fruits and vegetables was influenced by having a reliable source of fresh produce.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feasibility of a Home-Delivery Produce Prescription Program to Address Food Insecurity and Diet Quality in Adults and Children

et al. 2022

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Produce prescription programs aim to improve food insecurity (FI) and nutrition but their effectiveness is unclear. We conducted a pilot study to demonstrate the feasibility and explore the potential impact of a family-based, home-delivery produce prescription and nutrition education program. We measured enrollment, satisfaction, participation, and retention as measure of feasibility. Adult participants answered pre-post self-report questionnaires assessing FI, child and adult fruit and vegetable intake, and culinary literacy and self-efficacy. To understand participants’ lived experiences, qualitative interviews were conducted at the 6-month time point. Twenty-five families were enrolled. Feasibility measures indicate participants were generally satisfied with the program but there were important barriers to participation. Qualitative data revealed themes around reduced food hardship, healthy eating, budget flexibility, and family bonding. Fruit and vegetable consumption increased in a small subgroup of children, but post-intervention intake remained below recommended levels, particularly for vegetables. FI scores were not significantly different post-intervention, but qualitative findings indicated improved access and reliability of food. This is the first intervention of its kind to be evaluated for feasibility and our results suggest the intervention is well-received and supportive. However, further study, with a larger sample size, is needed to understand factors influencing participation and assess effectiveness.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feasibility of a Home-Delivery Produce Prescription Program to Address Food Insecurity and Diet Quality in Adults and Children

et al. 2022

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“…We also selected individual, household and community-level variables for inclusion in multivariable adjusted models (described below) based on knowledge of factors that influence (eg, moderate and confound) food purchasing (table 1). 6 24–26 29 34 35 We plan to collapse or recode certain FoodAPS variables, such as race and ethnicity, to align with current scientific practices,36 and for use in our statistical models. See table 1.…”

Section: Methods and Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

How does eligibility for GusNIP produce prescriptions relate to fruit and vegetable purchases and what factors shape the relationship? A protocol for a secondary analysis of nationally representative data in the USA

Houghtaling,

Zhang,

Yaroch

et al. 2024

BMJ Open

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IntroductionUS Department of Agriculture (USDA) Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Programme (GusNIP) produce prescription programme (PPR) ‘prescriptions’ provide eligible participants with low income, risk for diet-related chronic disease and food insecurity a healthcare issued incentive to purchase lower to no cost fruits and vegetables (FVs). However, GusNIP requirements specify that PPR prescriptions can only be redeemed forfresh(not frozen, canned or dried) FVs. This requirement may prevent participants from fully engaging in or benefiting from GusNIP PPR, given communities with lower healthy food access may have reduced fresh FV accessibility.Methods and analysisWe will use the nationally representative 2012–2013 National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey (FoodAPS) and complementary FoodAPS Geography Component data in a secondary data analysis to examine how household GusNIP PPR eligibility relates to the quantity and variety of fresh, frozen, canned and dried FV purchases and to what extent individual, household and food environment factors shape the relationship. FoodAPS data include household food purchasing and acquisition information across a 7 day period from 14 317 individuals among 4826 households and was collected between April 2012 and January 2013. The FoodAPS Geography Component provides information about the local community/environment relative to FoodAPS households. This study will examine the correlation or association of selected variables between different quantities and varieties of fresh, frozen, canned and dried FVs, as well as correlations among multilevel predictors.Ethics and disseminationWe are following data integrity standards as outlined by agreements with the USDA Economic Research Service. All results of analyses will undergo a thorough disclosure review to ensure no identifiable data are shared. Results will be disseminated to research, practice and policy communities using an Open Access peer-reviewed manuscript(s), scientific and practice presentations, and a public facing report and infographic.

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“…Focusing on fruit and vegetable intake, Saxe-Custack et al [ 48 ] recently found that although SNAP participation did not increase the probability of participants meeting national dietary recommendations, it did significantly increase the mean daily consumption of both fruits and vegetables for a cohort of child participants. Others have shown that trends in fruit and vegetable purchasing among SNAP households vary significantly according to the benefit cycle, although they are similar on average to non-participant households [ 49 ]. Evidence suggests that specific incentive programs for SNAP participants, including Double-Up Food Bucks and other targeted fruit and vegetable purchasing incentives, may increase intake more than SNAP alone [ 50 , 51 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experiences participating in federal nutrition assistance programs during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic: an investigation in Vermont

Spence,

Niles,

Bertmann

et al. 2024

Nutr J

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Background Federal nutrition assistance programs serve as safety nets for many American households, and participation has been linked to increased food security and, in some instances, improved diet quality and mental health outcomes. The COVID-19 pandemic brought new and increased economic, social, and psychological challenges, necessitating inquiry into how nutrition assistance programs are functioning and associated with public health outcomes. Methods Using data from a representative statewide survey administered in Vermont (n = 600) between July and September 2020, we examined participant experiences with major federal nutrition assistance programs: the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and school meal programs. We explored quantitative and qualitative responses regarding perceptions of program utility, and used nearest neighbors matching analyses in combination with bivariate statistical tests to assess associations between program participation and food insecurity, perceived stress, and fruit and vegetable intake as indicators of dietary quality. Results One in four respondents (27.3%) used at least one federal nutrition assistance program. As compared to non-participants, we found higher rates of food insecurity among program participants (57.5% vs. 18.1%; p < 0.001), an association that persisted even when we compared similar households using matching techniques (p ≤ 0.001). From matched analyses, we found that, compared to low-income non-participants, low-income program participants were less likely to meet fruit intake recommendations (p = 0.048) and that low-income SNAP and WIC participants were less likely to meet vegetable intake recommendations (p = 0.035). We also found lower rates of perceived stress among low-income school meal participant households compared to low-income non-participants (p = 0.039). Despite these mixed outcomes, participants broadly valued federal nutrition assistance programs, characterizing them as helpful or easy to use. Conclusions We found that federal nutrition assistance programs as a group were not sufficient to address food insecurity and stress or increase fruit and vegetable intake in the state of Vermont during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, participants perceived benefits from participation in these programs. Optimizing the utility of nutrition assistance programs depends on critical examination of their functioning under conditions of great stress.

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Fruit and Vegetable Purchasing Patterns and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participation: Findings From a Nationally Representative Survey

Cited by 7 publications

References 30 publications

Feasibility of a Home-Delivery Produce Prescription Program to Address Food Insecurity and Diet Quality in Adults and Children

Feasibility of a Home-Delivery Produce Prescription Program to Address Food Insecurity and Diet Quality in Adults and Children

How does eligibility for GusNIP produce prescriptions relate to fruit and vegetable purchases and what factors shape the relationship? A protocol for a secondary analysis of nationally representative data in the USA

Experiences participating in federal nutrition assistance programs during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic: an investigation in Vermont

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