Abstract
Background:
Low-income neighborhoods in Cincinnati, OH lack access to fresh fruits and vegetables. TriHealth partnered with a local food bank to start a year-round mobile market in 2 metro areas. The aim of our quality improvement project was to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables in food-scarce neighborhoods.
Methods:
Food perception data were obtained from patients who visited Samaritan Faculty Medical Center and Obstetrics Clinic and Bethesda Family Practice on the day that the mobile food bank was present. Participants completed the Fruit and Vegetable Inventory survey, an evaluation tool for nutrition education programs serving low-income communities. The survey was repeated 6–8 months after enrollment via a phone call from residents and physicians. Preparticipation and postparticipation body mass indexes (BMIs) were collected when possible.
Results:
We successfully partnered with a local food bank to provide our patients with weekly access to purchase fruits and vegetables. We established and maintained a customer base. Although no statistically significant data were obtained, the intervention appeared to have a positive influence on attitudes regarding fruit and vegetable intake. We saw an increase in the percentage of participants who reported a perceived benefit in a diet containing fruits and vegetables and a perceived risk of a diet void of fruits and vegetables. The majority of participants had an improvement in their perceived diet quality. BMI analysis of 20 patients showed no change during the study period.
Conclusion:
Increased access to fruits and vegetables appears to have a positive impact at least on attitude toward eating a more healthy diet. Future studies can see if this change in attitude results in a change in behavior by identifying if customers are study participants. A mobile food market appears to be a viable option to address food deserts.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN – The Effect of a Mobile Produce Market on Dietary Habits in a Low-Income Urban Neighborhood.
| Vision Statement | Our vision is to develop a sustainable process for addressing food disparities in our community and making a healthy diet a consistent part of medical care. We are developing a culture in which GME is leading the path toward improving healthcare disparities within the TriHealth community. We hope to set an example of stewardship in addressing our community’s healthcare needs. We envision equipping medical trainees with tools to effect change in the communities in which they will practice. |
| Team Objectives | The primary purpose of this project was to measure the impact of the mobile food market among Samaritan Faculty Medical Center and Obstetrics Clinic and Bethesda Family Practice patients with the aim to influence their fruit and vegetable consumption. The secondary purpose of the study was to measure the impact of a mobile food market among the residents of low-income communities of Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati with the aim to improve the availability and accessibility of fruits and vegetables. |
| Success Factors | The most successful part of our work was the engagement with the institution and the staff. People took pride in this work and felt they were contributing to a noble cause. We were initially inspired by the AIAMC work that Main Line Health had done regarding food insecurities and in providing fresh produce at their clinic. Our TriHealth team learned through our CHNA that our resident clinic sites were located in food deserts and that food insecurity was an issue for many of our patients. Our GME team decided to pursue addressing food insecurity for our NI V project. In addition, we are always inspired by our patients and their desire to eat better and lead healthier lives. |
| Barriers | The largest barrier encountered was that nutrition department reorganization and turnover kept them from engaging in our project. We worked to overcome this challenge by promoting the market through our own residents and staff. We still have work to do on this. |
| Lessons Learned | The single most important piece of advice to provide another team embarking on a similar initiative is to connect your idea/initiative to a mission/objective of your health system and identify a C-suite champion. |