Impact of the Food4Moms produce prescription program on readiness for healthy eating, fruit and vegetable intake, and food security
Top Things to Know
A community-based PRx model paired with culturally tailored nutrition education and ongoing engagement may improve healthy eating readiness, fruit and vegetable intake, and food security among pregnant women experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage.
The intervention demonstrates the feasibility of delivering a PRx program outside healthcare systems through a trusted community-based organization, potentially helping reach populations that face barriers to clinical care or public benefit programs.
The Food4Moms model suggests that combining financial food incentives with behavior-change supports may be particularly important in maternal health settings.
Summary of Conclusion/Findings
This study evaluated Food4Moms, a community-based produce prescription (PRx) program serving low-income pregnant Latina women in the Hartford, Connecticut area, using a single-group pre-post design with 113 participants who completed both baseline and endline assessments. Participants received $100 per month for 10 months to purchase fresh produce, along with culturally tailored nutrition education, text-message support, and community-based enrollment and navigation services. Participation was associated with significant improvements in readiness for healthy eating, with the proportion of women in the action or maintenance stages increasing from 34.5% at baseline to 61.9% at endline (p<0.001). fruit="" and="" vegetable="" intake="" increased="" from="" 2.30="" to="" 2.60="" cup-equivalents="" per="" day="" overall=""><0.001), including="" increases="" in="" both="" fruit="" intake="" (0.98="" to="" 1.12="" cups/day;=""><0.001) and="" vegetable="" intake="" (1.36="" to="" 1.55="" cups/day;="" p="0.001)." household="" food="" insecurity="" also="" improved,="" with="" the="" proportion="" experiencing="" any="" food="" insecurity="" decreasing="" from="" 77.0%="" to="" 67.3%="" (p="0.034)," although="" changes="" in="" the="" four-level="" food="" security="" classification="" were="" only="" marginally="" significant="" (p="">