162-LB: ¡Más Fresco! More Fresh—Impact of a Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program in a Pediatric Type 2 Diabetes Clinic

Abstract

Fruit and vegetable prescription (FVRx) programs have shown to improve fruit and vegetable intake and glycemic control in adults with diabetes; however, pediatric data is lacking. The aim of this study was to assess if a FVRx program improved fresh fruit and vegetable intake and health outcomes of children with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). Families with a child with T2D and enrolled in Medi-Cal were recruited from our pediatric diabetes clinic. Families were randomized to either receive vouchers immediately (intervention group) or after a 6-month waiting period (delayed-control group). Monthly vouchers were given for 1 year to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables. Families completed surveys including the Dietary Screening Questionnaire and U.S. Household Food Security Survey every 6 months. Physiologic data and standardized laboratory tests were also collected. Of the 57 families with baseline surveys, the majority identified as Latino/Hispanic (84%) and the mean age of children was 14.3 years. Of the 49 parents who completed the baseline U.S. Household Food Security Survey, 46.9% reported low household food security and 16.3% reported very low food security. There were 29 families who completed our baseline and 6-month surveys. For the intervention group (n=14), there was an increase in parent-reported fruit and vegetable intake from baseline to 6-months for parents (2.4 vs 3.6 cups per day, p=0.0034) and children (2.6 vs 4.4 cups per day, p=0.0264). Children self-reported increased fresh vegetable intake between baseline and 6-months (0.17 vs 0.53 cups per day, p=0.014). There was no statistically significant difference in these measures for the delayed-control group (n=15). There was no significant change in BMI Z-score or hemoglobin A1c for the two groups after 6 months. A FVRx program is a viable intervention to improve fruit and vegetable intake for families with a child with T2D. Further research is needed to assess its impact on BMI and glycemic control. Disclosure K. Chan: None. S. P. Hiller-venegas: None. J. J. Kim: None. K. O. Klein: Consultant; AbbVie Inc., Tolmar Pharm, Azurity. K. Rhee: None. Funding U.S. Department of Agriculture-National Institute of Food and Agriculture (2021-06512)