Yes We Can! Integrating Community and Produce Rx into Wellness Group Visits

• Published in: Pediatrics (Evanston) 2019-08, Vol.144 (2_MeetingAbstract), p.218-218
• Main Authors: Turner, Chloe, Huang, James
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Body weight; Children; Chronic illnesses; Community; Cooking; Curricula; Electronic medical records; Families & family life; Farmers markets; Food security; Fruits; Green development; Health care facilities; Low income groups; Meals; Medical electronics; Medical personnel; Obesity; Overweight; Partnerships; Pediatrics; Physical activity; Vegetables
• ISSN: 0031-4005; 1098-4275
• DOI: 10.1542/peds.144.2MA3.218

Group wellness visits that engage families are a promising intervention for addressing chronic illnesses and improving health outcomes. In Washington, D.C., nearly one in three children is overweight or obese, and many low-income families face barriers to accessing healthy foods. Unity Health Care, D.C.'s largest network of community health centers, has created unique partnerships with local and national organizations to develop an innovative weekly wellness group visit engaging parents and children of low-income families facing obesity. This collaborative effort focuses on healthy eating on a budget, promoting physical activity, and connecting families to community resources. Activities include cooking wholesome, affordable meals in the clinic's kitchen (led by professional chefs from a local organization Common Threads), zumba and yoga classes, visits to a local community garden (in partnership with City Blossoms, an organization fostering healthy communities by developing creative, kid-driven green spaces), and outings to local parks. An integral part of the program involves doctors writing weekly prescriptions for fresh fruits and vegetables (Produce Rx program) to be redeemed at local farmers markets, as a medical endorsement of healthy eating to help families make real changes to the way they shop and eat and to address food insecurity. For 6 months each year, the clinic program collaborates with DC Greens, a local organization focused on increasing access to healthy foods. Through this partnership and with support from the D.C. Department of Health, participants engage in a monthly nutrition education curriculum and use the produce prescriptions to buy healthy produce at farmers markets. Data is collected annually to evaluate the impact of the Produce Rx program using pre/post surveys and weight/height/BMI tracking through electronic medical records. Outcome measures include nutrition knowledge, attitudes, practices, and health, including BMI. Preliminary data from the 2017 season shows that 23/25 individuals (92%) completed the Produce Rx program (enrolled for at least 4 out of 6 months) at Unity's Upper Cardozo site, and 93% of these families' prescriptions were redeemed. 50% reduced their BMI percentile. 92% agreed or strongly agreed that they were able to take better care of their health due to their participation in the program and learned new things about how to take care of their health. 46% improved their rating of their children's overall h