Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial of a Mobile Produce Market designed to Address Diet and Food Insecurity in...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Nutrition Science
• Community Interventions

Background:

• The Veggie Van (VV) is a mobile market intervention designed to increase fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption.
• Previous efficacy studies showed VV increased F&V intake in lower-income populations.
• This study evaluated the broader impact of VV delivered by community partners.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effect of the Veggie Van intervention on food security.
• To determine the impact of the VV intervention on diet-related behaviors.
• To understand the role of community partners in delivering the intervention.

Main Methods:

• A cluster-randomized trial involving nine organizations across four US states.
• 33 community sites serving lower-income individuals with limited healthy food access were included.
• 699 participants were enrolled in 17 intervention sites and 16 control sites over one year.

Main Results:

• The Veggie Van intervention demonstrated positive impacts on food security and diet-related behaviors.
• Community partnerships facilitated the delivery of the mobile market intervention.
• The study provides evidence for the effectiveness of community-based mobile markets.

Conclusions:

• The Veggie Van intervention is an effective strategy for improving food security and diet-related behaviors in underserved communities.
• Multi-organizational partnerships can successfully implement mobile produce markets.
• Further research should explore long-term impacts and scalability.