Impact of the Food4Moms produce prescription program on readiness for healthy eating, fruit and vegetable intake, and food security
7 affiliations
- 1Hispanic Health Council, Hartford, Connecticut, United States of America
- 2Wholesome Wave, Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States of America
- 3Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- 4Yale-Griffin CDC Prevention Research Center (PRC), New Haven and Derby, Connecticut, United States of America
- 5Hubert Department of Public Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GeorgiaUnited States of America
- 6Emory Global Diabetes Research Center, Woodruff Health Sciences Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- 7Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Abstract
Produce prescription (PRx) programs targeting different populations and conditions have been found to be effective. However, few have focused on pregnant women. The objectives of this study were to assess the impact of the Food4Moms (F4M) PRx program on 1) healthy eating stages of change 2) intake of fruits and vegetables (i.e., produce), and 3) household food security among pregnant Latina women. F4M recruited low-income Latinas living in Greater Hartford, Connecticut that received a “produce prescription” from a Registered Dietitian based at the community-based organization (CBO) where the program was implemented. Participants were offered $100 per month for 10 months through Fresh Connect debit cards that only worked to purchase fresh produce from two food retailers or the equivalent value in fresh produce delivered at home. To be fully enrolled in F4M, participants had to complete a baseline survey and the first nutrition education interactive session. Enrolled participants were offered additional nutrition education sessions at the CBO and received text messages with nutrition tips as well as reminders to spend their remaining benefit balances towards the end of each month. A single-group pre-post study design was used to assess the impact of F4M 10 months after the card activation. No attrition bias was detected when comparing the characteristics of those completing (N = 113) vs. those not completing the endline survey (N = 41). Pre-post Wilcoxon signed-test or paired t-test analyses showed that F4M had a positive impact on healthy eating readiness (p < 0.001), the consumption of fruits (p < 0.001) and vegetables (p < 0.001), and household food security (p = 0.034). F4M is a promising community-engaged PRx program that may improve readiness for healthy eating, produce intake, and household food security. Implementation research is needed to find out how to effectively scale out and sustain programs like F4M. The study was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier: NCT05907616).
Related
- Evaluating the impact of a multi-year produce prescription program on fruit and vegetable intake, and food security in south central New York
- “I don't have to choose between everything”: Self-reported fruit and vegetable affordability, purchasing shifts, and healthcare utilization among produce prescription program participants in North Carolina
- Longitudinal Associations Between Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program Participation and Pediatric Blood Pressure and Weight Status
- Cross-cultural adaptation and initial psychometric evaluation of the fruit and vegetable self-efficacy scales among secondary school adolescents in Selangor, Malaysia
- Barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption among migrant workers in Bangkok: a mixed-methods study.
BibTeX
@article{seguraperez2026impact,
title = {{Impact of the Food4Moms produce prescription program on readiness for healthy eating, fruit and vegetable intake, and food security}},
author = {Sofia Segura-Pérez and Katina Gionteris and Amber Hromi-Fiedler and Kathleen O’Connor Duffany and Elizabeth C. Rhodes and Sara Rodonis and Andrea Aleaga-Figueroa and Gilma Galdamez and Andrea Tristán Urrutia and Rafael Pérez-Escamilla},
journal = {PLOS One},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0348968},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0348968},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Impact of the Food4Moms produce prescription program on readiness for healthy eating, fruit and vegetable intake, and food security
AU - Sofia Segura-Pérez
AU - Katina Gionteris
AU - Amber Hromi-Fiedler
AU - Kathleen O’Connor Duffany
AU - Elizabeth C. Rhodes
AU - Sara Rodonis
AU - Andrea Aleaga-Figueroa
AU - Gilma Galdamez
AU - Andrea Tristán Urrutia
AU - Rafael Pérez-Escamilla
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/02
JO - PLOS One
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0348968
UR - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0348968
AB - Produce prescription (PRx) programs targeting different populations and conditions have been found to be effective. However, few have focused on pregnant women. The objectives of this study were to assess the impact of the Food4Moms (F4M) PRx program on 1) healthy eating stages of change 2) intake of fruits and vegetables (i.e., produce), and 3) household food security among pregnant Latina women. F4M recruited low-income Latinas living in Greater Hartford, Connecticut that received a “produce prescription” from a Registered Dietitian based at the community-based organization (CBO) where the program was implemented. Participants were offered $100 per month for 10 months through Fresh Connect debit cards that only worked to purchase fresh produce from two food retailers or the equivalent value in fresh produce delivered at home. To be fully enrolled in F4M, participants had to complete a baseline survey and the first nutrition education interactive session. Enrolled participants were offered additional nutrition education sessions at the CBO and received text messages with nutrition tips as well as reminders to spend their remaining benefit balances towards the end of each month. A single-group pre-post study design was used to assess the impact of F4M 10 months after the card activation. No attrition bias was detected when comparing the characteristics of those completing (N = 113) vs. those not completing the endline survey (N = 41). Pre-post Wilcoxon signed-test or paired t-test analyses showed that F4M had a positive impact on healthy eating readiness (p < 0.001), the consumption of fruits (p < 0.001) and vegetables (p < 0.001), and household food security (p = 0.034). F4M is a promising community-engaged PRx program that may improve readiness for healthy eating, produce intake, and household food security. Implementation research is needed to find out how to effectively scale out and sustain programs like F4M. The study was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier: NCT05907616).
SN - 1932-6203
ER -