Associations Between Adolescent Food Environments and Dietary Intake.

Objective: To examine aspects of the home and neighborhood food environment as predictors of adolescent diet.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Research laboratory in Nebraska.

Dietary patterns and cardiorespiratory fitness in midlife and subsequent all-cause dementia: findings from the cooper center longitudinal study.

Background: Identifying lifestyle factors that independently or jointly lower dementia risk is a public health priority given the limited treatment options available to patients. In this cohort study, we examined the associations between Mediterranean or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet adherence and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) with later-life dementia, and assessed whether the associations between dietary pattern and dementia are modified by CRF.

Methods: Data are from 9,095 adults seeking preventive care at the Cooper Clinic (1987-1999) who completed a 3-day dietary record and a maximal exercise test.

A scoping review of policies to encourage breastfeeding, healthy eating, and physical activity among rural people and places in the United States.

Background: Rural U.S. residents experience a disproportionate burden of diet and physical activity (PA) related chronic disease compared to urban residents, due to resource and economic challenges.

Assessing the acceptability of a culturally adapted group-based pediatric intervention, Kokajjiriri, for Marshallese mothers and infants to improve nutrition and prevent childhood obesity.

Background: Marshallese Pacific Islanders experience higher rates of obesity than other racial and/or ethnic communities. Despite the obesity rates experienced in this community, there are currently no childhood obesity prevention interventions designed for Marshallese Pacific Islanders in the United States. The purpose of this study is to assess the acceptability and feasibility of a culturally adapted group-based pediatric intervention, Kokajjiriri, with Marshallese mothers to improve nutrition and reduce childhood obesity.

Digital Interventions to Modify Skin Cancer Risk Behaviors in a National Sample of Young Adults: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Young adults engage in behaviors that place them at risk for skin cancer. Dissemination of digital health promotion interventions via social media is a potentially promising strategy to modify skin cancer risk behaviors by increasing UV radiation (UVR) protection and skin cancer examinations.

Objective: This study aimed to compare 3 digital interventions designed to modify UVR exposure, sun protection, and skin cancer detection behaviors among young adults at moderate to high risk of skin cancer.

Multi-Method Formative Evaluation of a Digital Online Grocery Shopping Assistant Among Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children Participants.

Objective: Assess the acceptability of a digital grocery shopping assistant among rural women with low income.

Design: Simulated shopping experience, semistructured interviews, and a choice experiment.

Setting: Rural central North Carolina Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children clinic.

Mixed methods evaluation of the COVID-19 changes to the WIC cash-value benefit for fruits and vegetables.

Introduction: Recent cash-value benefit (CVB) increases are a positive development to help increase WIC participant fruits and vegetables (FV) access. Little is known about the impacts of the CVB changes on FV redemptions or about implementation successes and challenges among WIC State and local agencies. This mixed method study aimed to evaluate (a) the CVB changes' impact on FV access among WIC child participants measured by CVB redemption rates, (b) facilitators and barriers to CVB changes' implementation, and (c) differences in FV redemption and facilitators and barriers by race/ethnicity.

E-health Dietary Interventions for Participants of SNAP and WIC: A Systematic Review.

The migration of federal assistance services to online platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic sparked interest in digital nutrition education for individuals participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) programs. With federal government investing in the modernization of the nutrition education components of both programs, there is a need to identify science-backed electronic health (e-health) dietary interventions to improve health outcomes in this population. Therefore, the objective of this systematic literature review was to summarize the effectiveness, acceptability, and feasibility of e-health dietary interventions among individuals participating in WIC or SNAP.

How does eligibility for GusNIP produce prescriptions relate to fruit and vegetable purchases and what factors shape the relationship? A protocol for a secondary analysis of nationally representative data in the USA.

Introduction: US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Programme (GusNIP) produce prescription programme (PPR) 'prescriptions' provide eligible participants with low income, risk for diet-related chronic disease and food insecurity a healthcare issued incentive to purchase lower to no cost fruits and vegetables (FVs). However, GusNIP requirements specify that PPR prescriptions can only be redeemed for (not frozen, canned or dried) FVs. This requirement may prevent participants from fully engaging in or benefiting from GusNIP PPR, given communities with lower healthy food access may have reduced fresh FV accessibility.

Relationship between Food Security, Nutrition Security, and Diabetes: The Role of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participation.

Background: Inadequate nutrition and poor diet quality are associated with a heightened risk of diabetes. The connection between food insecurity measures and diabetes has been established, with evidence indicating that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation contributes to reductions in food insecurity. Recently developed nutrition security measures, defined as the ability to acquire healthful foods to prevent diseases, and their association with diabetes and SNAP participation are not yet understood.

Implementation of Food is Medicine Programs in Healthcare Settings: A Narrative Review.

Food is Medicine (FIM) programs to improve the accessibility of fruits and vegetables (FVs) or other healthy foods among patients with low income and diet-related chronic diseases are promising to improve food and nutrition security in the United States (US). However, FIM programs are relatively new and implementation guidance for healthcare settings using an implementation science lens is lacking. We used a narrative review to describe the evidence base on barriers and facilitators to FIM program integration in US healthcare settings following the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment (EPIS) Framework.

Developing and testing a produce prescription implementation blueprint to improve food security in a clinical setting: a pilot study protocol.

Background: Food insecurity is common in the United States, especially in Rhode Island, where it affects up to 33% of residents. Food insecurity is associated with adverse health outcomes and disproportionally affects people from minoritized backgrounds. Produce prescription programs, in which healthcare providers write "prescriptions" for free or reduced cost vegetables, have been used to address food insecurity and diet-related chronic disease.

Healthy food delivery for type 2 diabetes management in rural clinics' patients: A comparative effectiveness randomized controlled trial protocol.

Background: Rural populations experience a higher prevalence of both food insecurity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) than metropolitan populations and face many challenges in accessing resources essential to optimal T2DM self-management. This study aims to address these challenges by delivering a T2DM-appropriate food box and recipes directly to rural participants' homes.

Methods: This is a comparative effectiveness randomized controlled trial including 400 English- or Spanish-speaking rural adult participants with T2DM (HbA1c ≥6.

Perspective: Leveraging Electronic Health Record Data Within Food Is Medicine Program Evaluation: Considerations and Potential Paths Forward.

Government, health care systems and payers, philanthropic entities, advocacy groups, nonprofit organizations, community groups, and for-profit companies are presently making the case for Food is Medicine (FIM) nutrition programs to become reimbursable within health care services. FIM researchers are working urgently to build evidence for FIM programs' cost-effectiveness by showing improvements in health outcomes and health care utilization. However, primary collection of this data is costly, difficult to implement, and burdensome to participants.

Vendors' Perceptions and Experiences with WIC Online Shopping Implementation.

Background: Online shopping (OS) holds promise for improving the shopping experience for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). However, little is known about vendors' perspectives on implementing OS in the context of WIC.

Objectives: The present study aimed to understand vendors' experiences, needs, and barriers to WIC OS implementation.

Food is Medicine and implementation science: A recipe for health equity.

Diet-related chronic diseases such as Type II diabetes, cardiometabolic diseases, and cancer are among the leading causes of death in the USA. Nutrition security has emerged as a target outcome and a national priority for preventative medicine and the treatment of diet-related chronic diseases. Food is Medicine (FIM) initiatives encompass programs and interventions to meet priority population's needs across food and nutrition security continuums as a mechanism to address persistent food and nutrition inequities.

Implementation and Impact of Perinatal Food Is Medicine Programs: A Qualitative Research Study.

Background: Improving social determinants of health, such as access to nutritious food, is crucial for achieving health equity. Nutrition insecurity, especially during pregnancy and postpartum, can lead to poor maternal and birth outcomes. Food is Medicine (FIM) programs, which integrate food into the health care system to prevent or manage disease, have the potential to improve nutrition insecurity, but research about perinatal FIM programs is limited.

Creating Healthy Environments for Schools: A Comprehensive Approach to Improving Nutrition in Arkansas Public Schools.

Background: Nutrition plays a vital role in children's physical and emotional health. More than half of school age children's calories are provided in the school food environment, making school interventions an opportunity to address child nutrition.

Methods: The Creating Health Environments for Schools (CHEFS) program is designed to leverage local resources to create customized solutions that improve the nutritional content of school food and encourage children to choose healthier food.

Factors Associated with Provider Practices Related to Infant Feeding in Primary Care Settings: Results from a Pilot Survey.

In 2020, only 25.6% of dyads in the US were exclusively breastfeeding at six months. Previous research has shown that breastfeeding continuation improves when patients receive both prenatal and postpartum support.

Prioritize "Food is Medicine" initiatives in the 2024 Farm Bill for human and planetary health.

The Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) supports increased funding for policies in the 2024 Farm Bill that align with a Food is Medicine (FIM) framework and address multiple dimensions of human and planetary health.

Which Program Implementation Factors Lead to more Fruit and Vegetable Purchases? An Exploratory Analysis of Nutrition Incentive Programs across the United States.

Background: Nutrition incentive (NI) programs help low-income households better afford fruits and vegetables (FVs) by providing incentives to spend on FVs (e.g., spend $10 to receive an additional $10 for FVs).