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Late Breaking/Rapid Science Poster Session 1

(LB02-19-24) Participation in a Produce Prescription Intervention Is Associated With Increased Child Fruit and Vegetable Consumption

Sunday, June 30, 2024
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM CT
Location: W185A-C - Poster Board 19

    Presenting Author(s)

  • EM

    Emily Minkah-Premo, BPharm

    Research Assistant
    Children's National Hospital
    Clarksburg, Maryland, United States

    • Co-Author(s)

  • KE

    Kofi Essel

    George Washington University, United States

  • LF

    Laura Fischer, RD, PhD

    Assistant Research Professor
    Children's National Hospital and George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
    St Louis Park, Minnesota, United States

Disclosure(s):
Emily Minkah-Premo, BPharm: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.


Objectives: Many American children eat a diet low in fruits and vegetables, which is a risk factor for malnutrition and obesity across the lifespan. A produce prescription (PRx) intervention began in 2019 in Washington, DC. with the goal to provide greater access to healthy food and nutrition education to families with children at risk of food insecurity (FI) and diet-related chronic disease. The objective of this research was to determine if child fruit and vegetable consumption increased after participation in the PRx.

Methods: This was a longitudinal intervention, conducted between November 2021 and December 2022. Adult caregivers who screened positive for FI were recruited by clinicians during well child visits for patients aged 0-18 years old. Enrolled families received 8 pounds of produce and virtual nutrition education twice monthly for 6 months. Adult caregivers completed self-report surveys at baseline and post-intervention. We report demographics and parent-reported child fruit and vegetable intake. The pre-post change in fruit and vegetable intake was tested for statistical significance by the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test.

Results: Eighty-two families were enrolled in the PRx and 53 completed post-intervention data collection. Parent-reported child fruit and vegetable intake was below the recommended servings at baseline and post-intervention but increased post-intervention. The change in vegetable intake was statistically significant (p < 0.05) and the change in fruit intake was borderline significant (p < 0.1).

Conclusions: A PRx that offers produce and nutrition education can facilitate improvements in child fruit and vegetable intake however child consumption is still well below recommended levels. Future studies should investigate the optimal mechanisms of delivery and integration of PRx initiatives within the healthcare setting, including support from Registered Dietitians to promote achieving recommended levels of child fruit and vegetable intake.

Funding Sources: United States Department of Agriculture
Vitamix Foundation