Exploring a food is medicine pilot program to improve dietary quality among rural perinatal patients

Top Things to Know

Intensive FIM options like home-delivered meals and farm shares significantly enhanced diet quality, demonstrating that personalized, medically informed food interventions can effectively support maternal health during pregnancy.

Embedding FIM programs within OB/GYN care and leveraging community health workers helped bridge gaps in food access, showing that clinical-community partnerships are vital for delivering FIM solutions in rural settings.

Transportation, housing instability, and lack of cooking resources were major obstacles. Addressing these through supportive measures ensures that FIM programs reach those most in need.

Summary of Conclusion/Findings

This study explored the impact of a Food is Medicine (FIM) pilot program on dietary quality among rural perinatal patients experiencing food insecurity. Participants received tailored nutrition education and one or more FIM supports, such as home-delivered nutritionally tailored meals (NTMs), farm shares, food prescriptions, and shelf-stable food bags. Survey results from 31 patients showed high satisfaction with all FIM supports, especially more intensive options like NTMs and farm shares, which were linked to increased intake of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy proteins. About 71% of respondents reported a small positive change in diet quality, with NTMs most likely to drive larger improvements. Barriers to healthy eating included food preferences, transportation issues, poor food quality, and limited time to cook. The study concluded that FIM interventions during pregnancy have strong potential to improve diet quality and health, though further research is needed to optimize support types and durations.