Health Center-Based Community-Supported Agriculture: An RCT

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Nutrition Science
• Health Disparities

Background:

• Socioeconomically vulnerable populations often experience limited access to nutritious food.
• These groups disproportionately suffer from diet-related chronic illnesses.
• Community-supported agriculture (CSA) may offer a viable solution to improve dietary intake.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a subsidized CSA intervention in enhancing diet quality among socioeconomically vulnerable adults.
• To assess the impact of the intervention on food security.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted with adults having a BMI >25 kg/m².
• Participants were randomized to either a subsidized CSA program or a control group receiving healthy eating information and financial incentives.
• Diet quality was measured using the Healthy Eating Index 2010 (HEI-2010) via 24-hour recalls, with intention-to-treat analyses.

Main Results:

• The CSA intervention group showed a clinically meaningful increase in HEI-2010 scores (4.3 points higher, p=0.03) compared to the control group.
• Participants in the intervention group reported lower levels of food insecurity (RR=0.68, p=0.03).
• Baseline characteristics and HEI-2010 scores were similar between groups.

Conclusions:

• Subsidized community-supported agriculture interventions can lead to significant improvements in diet quality.
• CSA programs represent a valuable strategy for addressing nutritional needs and health disparities in vulnerable populations.
• The findings support the integration of CSA initiatives into public health strategies.