A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of a Produce Prescription Program for Adults With Food Insecurity and Obesity

Produce prescription programs may improve dietary quality and health but have not been well tested among adults with food insecurity and obesity.

Our aim in this pilot randomized controlled trial was to examine the feasibility and preliminary effects of ProduceRx, a produce program combined with behavioral weight loss counseling, compared with wait-list control (WLC).

Adults with obesity and food insecurity (N = 32) were randomly assigned to ProduceRx or WLC. ProduceRx had weekly counseling sessions and received $20 of produce vouchers weekly, whereas WLC had a 12-week wait period before enrolling in the program. All participants completed assessments at baseline and 12 weeks.

The retention rate was 90.6%. Groups did not differ significantly in changes in dietary quality, food security, mood, and stress. ProduceRx lost 2.4% ± 0.7% of initial body weight, which was more than WLC who gained 0.4% ± 0.7% ( P = .01). Compared with WLC, ProduceRx had significantly greater improvements in eating self-efficacy ( P = .04).

Produce prescriptions combined with behavioral weight loss demonstrated preliminary feasibility and efficacy in helping adults with food insecurity and obesity.