Innovative Approaches to Increase F&V Intake Thru Worksites

Summary

The purpose of this project is to study the efficacy of a delivery system to offer fresh fruits and vegetables (F\&V) at discount prices for purchase at worksites in conjunction with educational interventions on increasing employees' F\&V consumption in comparison to an intervention receiving fruit and vegetable markets alone or a comparison intervention.

Conditions

• Food Habits
• Eating Behavior

Interventions

OTHER

Access Intervention

The 7 worksites in this arm received year-round, weekly mobile F\&V markets (Fresh To You - FTY) selling local and non-local fresh produce at or below local supermarket prices. The markets carried 50 to 70 different produce items and were held both indoors and outdoors depending on the weather and worksite preference. When held indoors, F\&V were sold in a cafeteria or other highly trafficked area. In good weather, the markets were held outside on the worksite property in a retrofitted a car trailer. Each market lasted two hours. On average, FTY prices were 15% to 25% lower than local retail supermarket prices. Signs, posters, email blasts and flyers advertised the markets. The FTY intervention at each worksite began with a Kick-Off event, which included the first FTY market. Each employee who attended the first market received a large, reusable shopping bag with the FTY logo on it and a freezer pack to keep F\&V fresh.

BEHAVIORAL

Enhanced Intervention

The 7 worksites in this arm received the Access intervention described above as well as set of educational/behavioral interventions. At the Kick-Off, employees received the first month's newsletter and an educational digital video disk (DVD) in the reusable shopping bag. They also received a chef-run cooking demonstration/taste-testing along with recipes and information about the upcoming intervention activities. Intervention activities included two 6-week campaigns (Just Add Two and Choose Color, Choose Health); a 90 minute DVD with cooking demonstrations about preparing quick, healthy inexpensive meals and unusual F\&V; a two-page, full-color newsletter distributed monthly; Food demonstrations/tastings delivered once a month by chefs including an easy to prepare, F\&V-based recipe; a total of 12 recipe handouts that correlated with the monthly cooking demonstration; a Good to Go website; and a project bulletin board.

BEHAVIORAL

Comparison Behavioral Intervention

Brown University contracted with the Greater Providence Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) to provide a physical activity and stress reduction intervention at the 7 worksites in the comparison group. Two, six-week campaigns were developed jointly by the Brown study team and YMCA staff. These campaigns followed the same format as the enhanced intervention group campaigns and were provided during the same time periods as those at the enhanced intervention sites. Everyone who participated in the campaigns also received a free, 6-week membership to the YMCA.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Connecticut

  collaborator OTHER

• Brown University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• KIM Gans · Brown University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2010-09-30

Primary Completion

2015-10-31

Completion

2015-12-31