Improving Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Among Low-Income Customers at Farmers Markets: Philly Food Bucks, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2011

Details

• Journal Article:
  Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD)
• Personal Author:
  Young, Candace R. ; Aquilante, Jennifer L. ; Solomon, Sara ; Colby, Lisa ; Kawinzi, Mukethe A. ; Uy, Nicky ; Mallya, Giridhar
• Description:
  Introduction ; We evaluated whether Philly Food Bucks, a bonus incentive program at farmers markets, is associated with increased fruit and vegetable consumption and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) sales at farmers markets in low-income areas. ; Methods ; A convenience sample of 662 customers at 22 farmers markets in low-income neighborhoods in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was surveyed via face-to-face interviews. Questions addressed shopping characteristics, self-reported change in fruit and vegetable consumption, whether customers tried new fruits or vegetables, use of Philly Food Bucks, and demographic information. Market-level SNAP sales and Philly Food Bucks redemption data were also collected to monitor sales patterns. ; Results ; Philly Food Bucks users were significantly more likely than nonusers to report increasing fruit and vegetable consumption (OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.6-3.7; P < .001) and to report trying new fruits or vegetables (OR 1.8; 95% CI, 1.2-2.7; P = .006). At the market level, average SNAP sales more than doubled at farmers markets in low-income areas in the first 2 years of the Philly Food Bucks program. At the city's largest farmers market in a low-income area, the program was associated with an almost 5-fold higher increase in annual SNAP sales compared with baseline. ; Conclusion ; Results from this study demonstrate that a bonus incentive program tied to SNAP was associated with self-reported increases in fruit and vegetable consumption and increased SNAP sales at participating farmers markets in low-income communities. More research is warranted to evaluate the long-term impact of bonus incentives on farmers market use, dietary behaviors, and health outcomes.
• Subjects:
  • Automatic Data Processing
  • Commerce
  • Data Collection
  • Food Assistance
  • Food Preferences
  • Fruit
  • Humans
  • Odds Ratio
  • Poverty
  • Vegetables
• Source:
  Prev Chronic Dis. 10.
• DOI:
  http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd10.120356
• ISSN:
  1545-1151
• Pubmed ID:
  24135390
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC3804016
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  1U58DP002626-01/DP/NCCDPHP CDC HHS/United States
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Philadelphia, PA
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  10
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/21018/cdc_21018_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 433.83 KB]
• Collection(s):
  Preventing Chronic Disease
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:3106cb3d64ad6da0494c612004a15480e1ceaefa6f43a20b7d87da585a591187f9f750eb133012914ab37a99b0380626988acd92b383dc8674d8f6ebe40b57f3