Funded Projects

Rates of chronic disease including cancer, heart disease and obesity are higher in lower-income and minority communities. Poor diet, resulting in part from unequal access to healthy foods, is an important contributor to these disparities. Community-based food access interventions (i.e., mobile markets, fruit and vegetable incentive programs, healthy corner store initiatives) aim to improve diet in underserved communities, however preliminary evidence indicates that the people who benefit most from these programs were healthier to begin with. The goals of this research are to understand: 1. Why do residents of underserved communities choose not to participate in food access programs 2. What can food access programs do improve their reach to the most vulnerable members of the community We will accomplish this by recruiting approx. 50 individuals who have been identified through outreach by our community partners (across 4 states and 32 communities) as part of recruitment for a study evaluating mobile produce markets. Eligible individuals include those that: - Are not interested in using a mobile market in their community - Are willing to be contacted by researchers Eligible individuals will be consented and asked to: - Complete a baseline survey including food shopping behaviors, dietary behaviors and related psychosocial constructs, and demographics. - Complete an in-depth interview to understand reasons for non-participation and program preferences/need - Complete a follow-up survey including baseline measures and questions regarding usage of the mobile market and community engagement. Participants will receive $15 for completing each data collection point ($45 total). Qualitative data will be coded and analyzed to identify factors that contribute to non-participation in food access program. We are requesting $15,000 to support participant incentives and mailing ($3,000) and data collectors/interviewers ($12,000).