Validation of a Novel Method to Evaluate Community-Based Interventions That Improve Access to Fruits and Vegetables.

Background: Current evaluation tools are inadequate for assessing the impact of small-scale interventions, such as farmer's markets or community meal programs, on fruit and vegetable consumption. This study analyzes the pilot data of a novel tool designed to evaluate community-based programs' impact on fruit and vegetable consumption. Our research addresses the gap in effective evaluation methods for dietary behaviors within underserved populations.

Methods: The survey tool was developed through a participatory research approach involving interest holders and community members. We conducted a pilot survey across four community-based programs, validated the findings, and compared them against the data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

Results: This pilot survey demonstrated a high completion rate of 98.2%. Notably, 62.5% of respondents reported an increased consumption of fruits and vegetables since participating in the programs and cited cost, time, and accessibility as primary barriers to healthy eating. There is a strong, though not significant, correlation of 0.876 ( = 0.12) between the pilot data of prevalence of daily fruit and vegetable consumption and the national average.

Conclusion: Our findings suggest the survey tool effectively captures dietary behaviors and the influence of community-based programs. Further research is required to enhance its applicability in diverse settings and extend robust impact evaluation methods for these programs.