Health Outcomes of Produce Prescription Programs Associated with Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program Funding

Area of Science:

• Public Health Nutrition
• Health Services Research
• Clinical Nutrition

Background:

• The Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) supports produce prescription (PPR) programs.
• PPRs aim to improve patient access to fruits and vegetables through healthcare.
• Existing evidence on the health impact of PPRs requires synthesis and evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and narratively synthesize health outcomes from GusNIP-funded PPR programs.
• To assess the impact of PPRs on clinical measures and healthcare utilization.
• To identify limitations in current research and recommend future study designs.

Main Methods:

• Hybrid systematic narrative review of 16 studies involving GusNIP-funded PPR programs.
• Inclusion criteria focused on studies examining health outcomes, clinical measures, and healthcare utilization.
• Analysis of program design, sample size, methodological rigor, and reported outcomes.

Main Results:

• Program designs were heterogeneous with small sample sizes and often low methodological rigor (e.g., pre-post designs, no randomized control groups).
• Fewer than half of studies showed improved clinical outcomes; e.g., 3/8 on weight/BMI, 2/6 on glycosylated hemoglobin.
• Limited studies (3) examined healthcare utilization, with 2 showing improvements in hospitalization and/or emergency department use.

Conclusions:

• Evidence for the health impact of produce prescription programs is emerging but requires further robust investigation.
• Current studies often lack rigorous designs, limiting definitive conclusions on clinical and utilization outcomes.
• Future PPR initiatives should prioritize rigorous study designs and comprehensive outcome assessments to strengthen the evidence base.