The Produce Drop: Using Food as Medicine to Lower A1C Levels and Blood Pressure

Summary

Hypertension and diabetes, which are increasing in prevalence, contribute to significant morbidity and mortality in the U.S. Self-management of these diseases, including adherence to dietary guidelines such as daily fruit and vegetable intake, can improve outcomes, but low-income patients encounter many barriers to adherence, such as food insecurity and poor nutrition literacy. Few clinicians screen for food insecurity, and even when screening is performed, there are few tested clinical response models. This study will evaluate the benefits of fresh fruit and vegetable home delivery program, without and with small-group culinary medicine cooking classes, on blood pressure and glucose control among patients accessing care at the University of Oklahoma Internal Medicine Clinic in Tulsa, OK. The Produce Drop pilot study will evaluate the feasibility and potential health benefits of a clinic-community partnership between OU Internal Medicine and a fresh produce home-delivery service provider, to promote adherence to F/V dietary guidelines among patients with suboptimal blood pressure and blood glucose control. Among half of those assigned to receive food assistance, we will evaluate the additional benefits of participation in 3-session, small-group, hands-on culinary medicine curriculum.

Conditions

• Diabetes
• Hypertension
• Nutrition Poor

Interventions

OTHER

Produce delivery

weekly home delivery of fresh fruits and vegetables

OTHER

Cooking classes

weekly home delivery of fresh fruits and vegetables participants will be invited to participate in a Culinary Medicine cooking series. The OU Culinary Medicine cooking curriculum will involve a 3-part class series designed to build nutrition knowledge and cooking self-efficacy for preparing fresh F/Vs. Each session is \~2 hr. Core nutrition guidelines for blood pressure and blood sugar management will also be emphasized informed by an evidence-based Conceptual Model of Healthy Cooking. Classes will be conducted in small groups (\~16 participants) in an established teaching kitchen used by the culinary medicine program. Classes will be facilitated by a professional chef, a healthcare professional (dietitian, medical doctor, or trained medical student), and other support staff, including trained medical, dietetic, and public health students.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Oklahoma

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Marianna Wetherill, PhD · University of Oklahoma

• Brent Beasley, MD · University of Oklahoma

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

FACTORIAL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

64 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2019-07-16

Primary Completion

2021-03-16

Completion

2021-03-16

Countries

• United States

Study Locations