Participation in the Georgia Food for Health programme and CVD risk factors: a longitudinal observational study

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Miranda Alonna Cook, Emory University; Kathy Taylor, Grady Health Systems; Tammy Reasoner, Open Hand Atlanta; Sarah Moore, Wholesome Wave Georgia; Katie Mooney, Grady Health Systems; cecilia Tran, Grady Health Systems; Carli Barbo, Grady Health Systems; Stacie Renee Schmidt, Emory University; Aryeh D Stein, Emory University; Amy Webb Girard, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2023-08-07
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2023, Cambridge University Press
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980023001611
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Public Health Nutrition
• Volume: 26
• Issue: 11
• Start Page: 2470
• End Page: 2479
• Grant/Funding Information: The Georgia Center for Diabetes Translational Research Pilot Award funded the evaluation of this programme and had no role in the design, analysis or writing of this article.
• Keywords: Nutrition intervention; Food security; Health equity; Produce prescription
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Public Health; Health Sciences, Nutrition

Abstract

Objective: To assess the relationship between programme attendance in a produce prescription (PRx) programme and changes in cardiovascular risk factors. Design: The Georgia Food for Health (GF4H) programme provided six monthly nutrition education sessions, six weekly cooking classes and weekly produce vouchers. Participants became programme graduates attending at least 4 of the 6 of both the weekly cooking classes and monthly education sessions. We used a longitudinal, single-arm approach to estimate the association between the number of monthly programme visits attended and changes in health indicators. Setting: GF4H was implemented in partnership with a large safety-net health system in Atlanta, GA. Participants: Three hundred thirty-one participants living with or at-risk of chronic disease and food insecurity were recruited from primary care clinics. Over three years, 282 participants graduated from the programme. Results: After adjusting for programme site, year, participant sex, age, race and ethnicity, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participation and household size, we estimated that each additional programme visit attended beyond four visits was associated with a 0·06 kg/m2 reduction in BMI (95 % CI –0·12, –0·01; P = 0·02), a 0·37 inch reduction in waist circumference (95 % CI –0·48, –0·27; P < 0·001), a 1·01 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure (95 % CI –1·45, –0·57; P < 0·001) and a 0·43 mmHg reduction in diastolic blood pressure (95 % CI –0·69, –0·17; P = 0·001). Conclusions: Each additional cooking and nutrition education visit attended beyond the graduation threshold was associated with modest but significant improvements in CVD risk factors, suggesting that increased engagement in educational components of a PRx programme improves health outcomes.