Evaluating the Impact of the Veggie Van Program in Underserved Communities on Youths’ Dietary Intake

This study will evaluate an intervention delivered by community partners, the “Veggie Van” mobile market, a van service that sells weekly boxes of reduced-cost, fresh, North Carolina-grown fruits and vegetables and provides nutrition education, taste testing, and cooking demonstrations. Specific aims of the study are to: 1) determine the impact of the Veggie Van on More

Planning for Food Access and Community-Based Food Systems: A National Scan and Evaluation of Local Comprehensive and Sustainability Plans

This report evaluates current local comprehensive and sustainability plans across the United States and their impact on local policies, regulations, and standards to reduce food access disparities and improve community-based foods systems. Of 888 local government responses to a national web-based survey, only 11.8 percent of respondents (105 jurisdictions) indicated that their local plans address More

Evidence for Validity of Five Secondary Data Sources for Enumerating Retail Food Outlets in Seven American Indian Communities in North Carolina

This study compared the results of direct, on-site observations of a wide range of food outlets in multiple American Indian communities in North Carolina, without a list guiding the field observation, to several secondary data sources. Researchers identified 699 food outlets during primary on-site data collection. The match rate for primary and secondary data differed More

Obesity Prevention and National Food Security: A Food Systems Approach

Although food insecurity and obesity have historically been viewed as separate public health issues, there is growing interest in the seemingly contradictory association between these two issues. In this paper, authors discuss the findings from research examining associations between food insecurity and obesity in the U.S. and the need for greater synergy between food insecurity More

Fruit and Vegetable Availability and Selection: Federal Food Package Revisions, 2009

This article describes the results of a study that examined changes in fruit and vegetable (FV) availability and selection at Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) vendors before and after implementation of the 2009 revised WIC food packages in Illinois. Overall, availability and selection of commonly consumed fresh FV and availability More

Tools for Healthy Tribes: Improving Access to Healthy Foods in Indian Country

This paper describes how the American Indian Healthy Eating Project evolved through five phases: 1) starting the conversation; 2) conducting multidisciplinary formative research; 3) strengthening partnerships and tailoring policy options; 4) disseminating community-generated ideas; and 5) accelerating action while fostering sustainability. The article discusses each phase’s essential steps, outcomes derived, and lessons learned. Collectively, these More

Stocking Characteristics and Perceived Increases in Sales Among Small Food Store Managers/Owners Associated with the Introduction of New Food Products Approved by the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children

Implementation of the 2009 Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food package has implications for WIC-authorized store managers/owners who had to modify their stock to meet the demands of their WIC customers and to maintain their WIC authorization. This paper examines perceived sales, product selection, and stocking habits of small WIC-authorized More

Small Retailer Perspectives of the 2009 Women, Infants and Children Program Food Package Changes

In 2009, the U.S. Department of Agriculture implemented changes to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food package. This paper explores the perceptions of owners and managers of small food stores about implementation successes and challenges related to the new WIC package. Findings from qualitative interviews across seven states indicate More