Tracy J. Farrell

Sisters in health: experiential program emphasizing social interaction increases fruit and vegetable intake among low-income adults.

Sisters in Health, a nutrition education program aimed at increasing fruit and vegetable consumption among low-income women, includes active food experiences, positive social settings, a flexible meeting series, and small-group facilitation by paraprofessionals. The programs impact was evaluated in a nonrandom sample of 269 low-income adults in 32 intervention and 10 control groups in New York State using a quasi-experimental, pre-/postprogram evaluation design. Intervention groups reported increased fruit and vegetable consumption, measured by a brief screener, of 1.6 times a day (versus 0.8 times in the control groups) and were 0.44 times more likely to be eating fruits and vegetables 5 or more times a day (P < .05) than control groups. Group support, taste, and food skill experiences can be effective for increasing fruit and vegetable consumption.

Linking vegetable preferences, health and local food systems through community-supported agriculture.

OBJECTIVE The objective of the present study was to explore the influence of participation in community-supported agriculture (CSA) on vegetable exposure, vegetable intake during and after the CSA season, and preference related to locally produced vegetables acquired directly from CSA growers. DESIGN Quantitative surveys were administered at three time points in two harvest seasons to four groups of CSA participants: new full-paying, returning full-paying, new subsidized and returning subsidized members. Questionnaires included a vegetable frequency measure and measures of new and changed vegetable preference. Comparisons were made between new and returning CSA members and between those receiving subsidies and full-paying members. SETTING The research was conducted in a rural county in New York, USA. SUBJECTS CSA members who agreed to participate in the study. RESULTS Analysis was based on 151 usable questionnaires. CSA participants reported higher intake of eleven different vegetables during the CSA season, with a sustained increase in some winter vegetables. Over half of the respondents reported trying at least one, and up to eleven, new vegetables. Sustained preferences for CSA items were reported. CONCLUSIONS While those who choose to join a CSA may be more likely to acquire new and expanded vegetable preferences than those who do not, the CSA experience has the potential to enhance vegetable exposure, augment vegetable preference and increase overall vegetable consumption. Dietary patterns encouraged through CSA participation can promote preferences and consumer demand that support local production and seasonal availability. Emphasis on fresh and fresh stored locally produced vegetables is consistent with sustainable community-based food systems.

Process evaluation of an environmental walking and healthy eating pilot in small rural worksites

Small Steps are Easier Together (SS) was a pilot environmental intervention in small rural worksites in Upstate New York in collaboration with Extension educators. Worksite leaders teamed with co-workers to select and implement environmental changes to increase walking steps over individual baseline and to choose healthy eating options over 10 weeks. Participants were 226 primarily white, women employees in 5 sites. A mixed methods process evaluation, conducted to identify determinants of intervention effectiveness and to explain differences in outcomes across worksites, included surveys, self-reports of walking and eating, interviews, focus groups, and an intervention log. The evaluation assessed reach, characteristics of recruited participants, dose delivered, dose received, and context and compared sites on walking and eating outcomes. Emergent elements of participant-reported dose received included: active leadership, visible environmental changes, critical mass of participants, public display of accomplishments, accountability to co-workers, and group decision making. Participants at sites with high reach and dose were significantly more likely than sites with low reach and dose to achieve intervention goals. Although this small pilot needs replication, these findings describe how these evaluation methods can be applied and analyzed in an environmental intervention and provide information on trends in the data.