Exploring Qualitative Insights Into Nutrition Incentive and Produce Prescription Programs: A Scoping Review

Top Things to Know

NI and PPR programs effectively increase access to fruits and vegetables, and when paired with education and culturally relevant support, these programs act as therapeutic interventions.

Successful implementation hinges on strong relationships between healthcare providers, farmers, and community organizations.

FIM programs must include wraparound services (including peer support) that ensure patients can access and use healthy food consistently.

Summary of Conclusion/Findings

This scoping review synthesized qualitative findings from 49 studies on Nutrition Incentive (NI) and Produce Prescription (PPR) programs across the United States. The review identified three overarching themes: benefits and facilitators, barriers and challenges, and key recommendations. Participants and implementers consistently reported increased fruit and vegetable intake, improved food access, financial relief, and enhanced nutrition knowledge and social support. However, challenges such as transportation, stigma, limited program awareness, and integration with healthcare and retail technology were common. Recommendations included tailoring programs to cultural and community needs, expanding benefit amounts, improving nutrition education, and strengthening partnerships and infrastructure. The study concludes that NI and PPR programs are promising tools for addressing food insecurity and chronic disease, but require strategic improvements to maximize their impact.