LA County Program Boosts Food and Nutrition Security for Diabetics
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, in partnership with three Federally Qualified Health Centers, implemented a produce prescription program. This initiative was specifically designed to improve access to fresh fruits and vegetables for Medicaid patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes.
Participants in the program received $40 per month for a period of six months. This financial assistance was provided on a debit card, which could only be used to purchase eligible fresh fruits and vegetables at specific grocery stores.
Evaluating Program Effectiveness
A before-and-after study was conducted to evaluate the program's impact. Participants completed questionnaires at both the start and the end of the program, measuring improvements in both nutrition security and household food security.
Key Findings
Among the 1,309 participants who completed both surveys, significant improvements were noted:
- Nutrition security increased from 23.2% at baseline to 38.7% at follow-up.
- Food security also improved, rising from 25.2% to 42.9%.
The improvements in nutrition security remained statistically significant after adjusting for various factors, including sociodemographics, baseline food security, and fruit and vegetable consumption.
While most participants still reported healthy foods as being too expensive, a higher percentage indicated they were able to find stores with healthy food options after participating in the program.
Conclusion and Outlook
The authors of the study described the program as an early, short-term success.
They concluded that produce prescription programs can be effectively integrated into healthcare settings to assist high-risk patients in accessing healthier food options.