Piloting Home Produce Delivery to Improve Food Security, Budget, and Diet in Families with Children: A Mixed-Methods Study

• Published in: Academic pediatrics 2024-08, Vol.25 (1), p.102550, Article 102550
• Main Authors: Plencner, Laura M., Ross, Janet Nalubega, Hall, Matthew, Hurley, Emily A., Raphael, Jean L., Donis De Miranda, Evelyn, Colvin, Jeffrey D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: food insecurity; nutrition; poverty
• ISSN: 1876-2859; 1876-2867; 1876-2867
• DOI: 10.1016/j.acap.2024.07.017

Few children in food insecure (FI) households meet dietary recommendations for fruit and vegetables (“produce”). Barriers include affordability, accessibility, and desirability. Home produce delivery may reduce FI, increase produce consumption, and decrease budget tradeoffs. Evaluate the acceptability and potential impact of delivering produce through home visiting programs on FI, diet, and budget tradeoffs. In this prospective pre/post mixed methods study, 51 parents engaged in home visiting programs were enrolled. Participants completed pre- and post-program surveys on FI (18-item Food Security Scale), produce consumption, and budget tradeoffs. Pre- and post-surveys were compared using McNemar’s test and weighted kappas. Interview guides were based on Social Cognitive Theory and a previously published framework. Interviews were conducted in English or Spanish; thematic analysis was completed. Twenty-nine (56.9%) participants completed both surveys. Most were female (96.3%) and Hispanic (79.3%) (Table 1). Food security improved in the post-period, with more participants reporting high food security (pre: 6.9%, post: 31.0%) and fewer reporting very low food security (pre: 20.7%, post: 6.9%, P