Abstract
The Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) in the U.S. provides coupons for the purchase of fruit and vegetables (FV) to pregnant women and children enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), and to income-eligible adults 60+ years of age. The New York State FMNP Education Event Guide was developed to support cooperative extension educators in providing information, food tastings, and cooking demonstrations at farmers’ markets (FM) to encourage consumption of FV. This paper describes implementation at seven FM in New York City, and shopping and eating behaviors in a cross-sectional survey of FM shoppers (n = 377). Three of nine lessons were implemented more than once, typically with food sampling (78.9%). FM shoppers were primarily women (81.5%), racially diverse (30.5% Black, 23.1% White), frequent shoppers (2.4 times/month), and had high FV consumption (2.24 cups fruit; 2.44 cups vegetables daily). Most FM shoppers participated in the FM education event (84%), and participants and non-participants had equivalent shopping and eating behaviors. More than 70% of FM education participants believed that the event positively impacted their knowledge, self-efficacy, and behavioral intentions. FMNP education events at FM were broadly accepted by FM shoppers of all characteristics, and may improve knowledge, self-efficacy, and behavioral intention.
Highlights
Fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, type-two diabetes, and some cancers [1,2,3,4]
farmers’ markets (FM) shoppers completed a survey that asked about their shopping and eating behaviors and participation in the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) educational event, and participants were asked to rate statements related to the impact of the event on their knowledge, self-efficacy, and behavioral intention
These FM were chosen in collaboration with staff at GrowNYC because they were located next to a WIC clinic or a senior center, in neighborhoods in which housing costs and incomes were lower, no nutrition education was planned by other agencies, and water and storage were available for cooking demonstrations
Summary
Fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, type-two diabetes, and some cancers [1,2,3,4]. Consumption of FV is even lower among adults in low-income [6] and food insecure households [7]. Adults in low-income households face barriers to FV access including lack of knowledge about the benefits of FV, unhealthy food environments, and a lack of time to cook [8,9,10]. Prior studies provide consistent evidence that shopping at a FM at least once in the past year was associated with higher reported fruit [13] or FV intake [14] and greater likelihood of consuming five or more FV daily [15]. More frequent FM shopping was associated with more frequent FV consumption [16] as well as higher reported [17,18,19] and objectively measured [19] FV intake
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