Dietary Habits
Conditions
Brief summary
The Veggie Vouchers pilot intervention aimed to increase awareness and utilization of an existing SNAP F&V incentive program in South Carolina for families with food insecurity. Social determinants of health screenings were leveraged in a pediatric clinic to identify eligible families and provide information about this program. A free trial was then offered, with the long-term goal of increasing program use after the free trial ended. The primary aim was feasibility and acceptability of the Veggie Vouchers intervention among pediatricians and families.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALVeggie Vouchers pilot
This intervention aims to increase awareness and use of a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) fruit and vegetable incentive program in South Carolina among families with young children experiencing food insecurity. To do so, brief education about this SNAP program is delivered by pediatricians to caregivers during well-child visits. Subsequently, caregivers are given 3 free produce boxes as a free trial of this program to incentivize first time use.
Sponsors
University of South Carolina
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Caregiver Inclusion Criteria: * 18 years of age or older * Had a child 2-17 years of age * Child lived in their home 50% of the time or more * Child was a patient of the general pediatrics clinic enrolled in this study * English-speaking * Enrolled in SNAP * Experiencing household food insecurity Caregiver
Exclusion criteria
* Had purchased fruits and vegetables within the past year at the community food site participating in this study
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention utilization: SNAP purchases (family uptake) | Through study completion, approximately 1 year | How many families purchased additional fruit and vegetable boxes using their SNAP electronics benefit card |
| Intervention acceptability: caregivers | Upon completing the intervention, approximately 5 months after baseline | Acceptability was assessed via surveys on caregivers satisfaction of the intervention |
| Intervention acceptability: pediatricians | Upon completing the intervention, approximately 1 year | Acceptability was assessed via surveys on pediatricians perceptions of the intervention |
| Intervention acceptability | Upon completing the intervention, approximately 3 months after baseline | Exit surveys were used to assess reasons for low utilization of the intervention |
| Intervention utilization: free trial redemption | Through free trial period, approximately 3 months from baseline | How many free trial vouchers were ordered and received |
| Intervention utilization: SNAP purchases (box frequency) | Through study completion, approximately 1 year | Number of additional fruit and vegetable boxes purchased using SNAP electronics benefit card |
| Intervention feasibility: recruitment screening eligibility | Through study completion, approximately 1 year | Percent of caregivers screened who were eligible |
| Intervention feasibility: recruitment screening enrollment | Through study completion, an average of 1 year | Percent of eligible caregivers who enrolled |
| Intervention feasibility: recruitment duration | Through study completion, an average of 1 year | Duration to reach the target sample |
| Intervention feasibility: retention attendance | Through study completion, an average of 1 year | Assessment completion rates |
| Intervention feasibility: retention dropout | Through study completion, an average of 1 year | Percent of sample that drops out or is lost to follow-up |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Household nutrition security | Baseline, after receiving each free fruit and vegetable box (~1x/month for 3 months after baseline), and end of the intervention (~5 months after baseline for redeemers; 3 months after baseline for non-redeemers) | The Household Nutrition Security scale was used to assess a household's ability to acquire foods that meet their nutritional needs without resource limitations or worry. Scores range 0 to 4. Higher scores indicate a greater degree of household nutrition security. |
| Household healthfulness choice | Baseline, after receiving each free fruit and vegetable box (~1x/month for 3 months after baseline), and end of the intervention (~5 months after baseline for redeemers; 3 months after baseline for non-redeemers) | The Household Nutrition Security scale was used to assess a household's ability to acquire foods that meet their health needs without resource limitations or worry. Scores range 0 to 4. Higher scores indicate a greater degree of household healthfulness choice. |
| Household dietary choice | Baseline, after receiving each free fruit and vegetable box (~1x/month for 3 months after baseline), and end of the intervention (~5 months after baseline for redeemers; 3 months after baseline for non-redeemers) | The Household Dietary Choice scale was used to assess a household's ability to acquire foods that meet their dietary preferences without resource limitations or worry. Scores range 0 to 4. Higher scores indicate a greater degree of household dietary choice |
| Dietary intake | Baseline, after receiving each free fruit and vegetable box (~1x/month for 3 months after baseline), and end of the intervention (~5 months after baseline for redeemers; 3 months after baseline for non-redeemers) | The National Cancer Institute's Dietary Screener Questionnaire (DSQ) was used to assess caregiver's report of children's dietary intake. Responses are quantified as cup equivalents per day, grams per day, milligrams per day, ounce equivalents per day, or teaspoon equivalents per day. Whether higher or lower numbers indicate more healthful or less healthful dietary intake is specific to each nutrient. |
| Household food insecurity | Baseline, after receiving each free fruit and vegetable box (~1x/month for 3 months after baseline), and end of the intervention (~5 months after baseline for redeemers; 3 months after baseline for non-redeemers) | The 18-item United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Household Food Security Module was used to assess household food security status. Scores range 0 to 18. Higher scores indicate greater degrees of food insecurity. |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed