Association between youth blood pressure and exposure to pediatric fruit and vegetable prescriptions.

Background: Health impacts of pediatric fruit and vegetable prescription programs (FVPPs) are unclear. This study assessed whether exposure to an FVPP that provided $15 produce prescriptions during pediatric visits was associated with differences in child diet, food security, physical activity, weight status, and blood pressure.

Methods: This cross-sectional analysis included data from caregiver-child dyads with varying levels of exposure to the FVPP.

Caregiver-reported barriers to engagement in a paediatric fresh fruit and vegetable prescription programme.

Paediatric fruit and vegetable prescription programmes hold promise in improving food security and dietary patterns among youth. However, programme success is largely dependent upon caregiver and family engagement. The current study sought to gain a better understanding of environmental barriers to engagement in a paediatric fruit and vegetable prescription programme in one low-income, urban community (Flint, Michigan, USA).

A Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program for Prenatal Patients in Flint, Michigan: Baseline Food Security and Dietary Intake.

Although adequate nutritional status during pregnancy is necessary to support optimal fetal development, many low-income women have poor access to fresh, high-nutrient foods. To address these challenges, a pediatric fruit and vegetable (FV) prescription program was expanded to include pregnant women, providing one prescription for fresh FVs worth 15 US dollars during each prenatal office visit for redemption at farmers'/mobile markets. This analysis describes baseline sociodemographic characteristics, food security, and dietary intake among 253 pregnant women in Flint, Michigan in 2022-23.

'Nobody Shops at the Neighborhood Store': Leveraging a Community's Pediatric Fresh Produce Prescription Program to Inform Future Participating Store Redemption Locations.

Research examining the nature of food shopping often considers proximity to the nearest or overall distance travelled to multiple stores. Such studies make up a portion of new work on so-called 'food deserts' and the issues inherent in the term, including that most people do not shop at their nearest store, and mobility challenges vary vastly from one person to the next. Increasing the knowledge base on shopping characteristics could be useful for behavioral interventions and programs aimed at increasing healthy food shopping.

Relative impacts of a virtual cooking and nutrition program for children and families.

Among the many factors contributing to increased consumption of ultraprocessed foods, a societal decline in cooking skills is a barrier to achieving healthy dietary patterns among children and adolescents. The current study assessed the effectiveness of a healthy cooking program, its geographic reach, and whether program format (child only, in-person format vs. family-based, virtual format) influenced outcomes.

"The Shelves Are Bare": The Impact of COVID-19 on Families Enrolled in a Pediatric Produce Prescription Program.

Objectives A large pediatric clinic in Flint, Michigan, implemented a produce prescription program for youth to address enduring challenges with food access and food insecurity. Approximately 18 months later, on March 23, 2020, the State of Michigan issued a "stay home, stay safe" executive order in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study sought to (1) explore caregiver experiences with access to and utilization of the prescription program during COVID-19; and (2) understand perceived changes in the food environment during the "stay home, stay safe" executive order.

Effect of a pediatric fruit and vegetable prescription program on child dietary patterns, food security, and weight status: a study protocol.

Background: Although nutrients in fruits and vegetables are necessary for proper development and disease prevention, most US children consume fewer servings than recommended. Prescriptions for fruits and vegetables, written by physicians to exchange for fresh produce, address access and affordability challenges while emphasizing the vital role of diet in health promotion and disease prevention. Michigan's first fruit and vegetable prescription program (FVPP) exclusively for children was introduced in 2016 at one large pediatric clinic in Flint and expanded to a second clinic in 2018.

Household Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participation is Associated With Higher Fruit and Vegetable Consumption.

Objective: Examine whether differences were present by Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation in dietary patterns, achievement of dietary recommendations, and food security for children (aged 7-18 years) receiving free/reduced-price school meals.

Methods: Cross-sectional study. Caregiver-child dyads at a pediatric clinic completed validated surveys.

Influence of a Pediatric Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program on Child Dietary Patterns and Food Security.

Limited access to fresh foods is a barrier to adequate consumption of fruits and vegetables among youth, particularly in low-income communities. The current study sought to examine preliminary effectiveness of a fruit and vegetable prescription program (FVPP), which provided one USD 15 prescription to pediatric patients during office visits. The central hypothesis was that exposure to this FVPP is associated with improvements in dietary patterns and food security.

Family Perceptions of a Cooking and Nutrition Program for Low-Income Children and Adolescents.

. Flint Kids Cook, a nutrition and culinary program for children and adolescents, was created in October 2017 to address health concerns among youth and families in a low-income, urban community. In this study, researchers examined family experiences with the 6-week, chef-led program, which was taught in a farmers' market kitchen.

: positive influence of a farmers' market cooking and nutrition programme on health-related quality of life of US children in a low-income, urban community.

Objective: To examine changes in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among youth who participated in Flint Kids Cook, a 6-week healthy cooking programme for children, and assess whether changes in HRQoL were associated with changes in cooking self-efficacy, attitude towards cooking (ATC) and diet.

Design: Pre-post survey (Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, Block Kids Food Screener, 8-item cooking self-efficacy, 6-item ATC) using child self-report at baseline and programme exit. Analysis involved paired sample t-tests and Pearson's correlations.

Participation in a Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program for Pediatric Patients is Positively Associated with Farmers' Market Shopping.

: The primary objective was to investigate the association between participation in a farmers' market fruit and vegetable prescription program (FVPP) for pediatric patients and farmers' market shopping. : This survey-based cross-sectional study assessed data from a convenience sample of 157 caregivers at an urban pediatric clinic co-located with a farmers' market. Prescription redemption was restricted to the farmers' market.

Child Consumption of Whole Fruit and Fruit Juice Following Six Months of Exposure to a Pediatric Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program.

Public health recommendations suggest limiting child consumption of fruit juice in favor of whole fruit due to juice's high sugar content, lack of fruit fiber, and potential for excess intake. However, replacing juice with whole fruit may be particularly challenging for low-income and minority children, who report the highest intake of 100% juice. To address access and affordability challenges among low-income children, researchers partnered with pediatricians in an urban food desert community, to introduce a fruit and vegetable prescription program (FVPP) that provided a $15 prescription for fresh produce to every child during each office visit.

Caregiver Experiences With an Innovative Farmers' Market Incentive Program for Children in Flint, Michigan.

An innovative farmers' market incentive program designed specifically for children was implemented to address persistent challenges with accessing fresh, nutrient-rich foods in a food desert community. The current study sought to qualitatively examine caregiver perceptions of the incentive program. Following distribution of farmers' market incentives to all children (ages 0 to 15 years) at 43 Flint-area early childcare facilities and elementary schools, researchers conducted semistructured interviews with 37 caregivers (mean age = 39.

Participant experiences in a paraprofessional-led weight management program for children and families.

Background: Pediatric obesity is a serious and widespread medical condition that is increasing in the United States. Unfortunately, family-based programming to address the disorder fails to successfully reach and engage many children, particularly in low-income communities. To provide more affordable, accessible, and scalable programming options, researchers partnered with pediatricians and the Cooperative Extension Service (Extension) in a Midwestern state to develop a collaborative intervention.

Fruit and Vegetable Prescriptions for Pediatric Patients Living in Flint, Michigan: A Cross-Sectional Study of Food Security and Dietary Patterns at Baseline.

Though fruit and vegetable consumption is essential for disease prevention and health maintenance, intake among children fails to meet dietary recommendations. Limited access to and the affordability of fresh produce, particularly among low-income youth, are barriers to adequate intake. To address these challenges, researchers and pediatricians in Flint, Michigan, expanded a successful fruit and vegetable prescription program that provides one $15 prescription for fresh fruits and vegetables to every child at every office visit.

Caregiver perceptions of a fruit and vegetable prescription programme for low-income paediatric patients.

Objective: The physical and social environments that surround children should support good health. However, challenges with food security and access prevent many children from consuming a healthy diet, which is critical to proper growth and development. The present study sought to gain a better understanding of primary care initiatives to address these issues in a low-income setting.