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Completed

NCT Number: NCT06593028

Feasibility of Strategies to Increase SNAP Fruit and Vegetable Incentive Program Use for Families With Food Insecurity

The Veggie Vouchers pilot intervention aimed to increase awareness and utilization of an existing SNAP F&V incentive program in South Carolina for families with food insecurity. Social determinants of health screenings were leveraged in a pediatric clinic to identify eligible families and provide information about this program. A free trial was then offered, with the long-term goal of increasing program use after the free trial ended. The primary aim was feasibility and acceptability of the Veggie Vouchers intervention among pediatricians and families.

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Key information

Conditions

Dietary Habits Behavior Behavior, Animal Feeding Behavior

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 1

Primary location

University of South Carolina

Columbia, South Carolina, 29204, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Caregiver Inclusion Criteria:

  • 18 years of age or older
  • Had a child 2-17 years of age
  • Child lived in their home 50% of the time or more
  • Child was a patient of the general pediatrics clinic enrolled in this study
  • English-speaking
  • Enrolled in SNAP
  • Experiencing household food insecurity

Caregiver Exclusion Criteria:

  • Had purchased fruits and vegetables within the past year at the community food site participating in this study

Treatment and study plan

Veggie Vouchers pilot

Behavioral

This intervention aims to increase awareness and use of a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) fruit and vegetable incentive program in South Carolina among families with young children experiencing food insecurity. To do so, brief education about this SNAP program is delivered by pediatricians to caregivers during well-child visits. Subsequently, caregivers are given 3 free produce boxes as a free trial of this program to incentivize first time use.

Primary outcomes

  1. Intervention feasibility: recruitment screening eligibility

    Time frame: Through study completion, approximately 1 year

    Percent of caregivers screened who were eligible

  2. Intervention feasibility: recruitment screening enrollment

    Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 year

    Percent of eligible caregivers who enrolled

  3. Intervention feasibility: recruitment duration

    Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 year

    Duration to reach the target sample

  4. Intervention feasibility: retention attendance

    Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 year

    Assessment completion rates

  5. Intervention feasibility: retention dropout

    Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 year

    Percent of sample that drops out or is lost to follow-up

  6. Intervention acceptability: caregivers

    Time frame: Upon completing the intervention, approximately 5 months after baseline

    Acceptability was assessed via surveys on caregivers satisfaction of the intervention

  7. Intervention acceptability: pediatricians

    Time frame: Upon completing the intervention, approximately 1 year

    Acceptability was assessed via surveys on pediatricians perceptions of the intervention

  8. Intervention acceptability

    Time frame: Upon completing the intervention, approximately 3 months after baseline

    Exit surveys were used to assess reasons for low utilization of the intervention

  9. Intervention utilization: free trial redemption

    Time frame: Through free trial period, approximately 3 months from baseline

    How many free trial vouchers were ordered and received

  10. Intervention utilization: SNAP purchases (box frequency)

    Time frame: Through study completion, approximately 1 year

    Number of additional fruit and vegetable boxes purchased using SNAP electronics benefit card

  11. Intervention utilization: SNAP purchases (family uptake)

    Time frame: Through study completion, approximately 1 year

    How many families purchased additional fruit and vegetable boxes using their SNAP electronics benefit card

Secondary outcomes

  1. Household food insecurity

    Time frame: Baseline, after receiving each free fruit and vegetable box (~1x/month for 3 months after baseline), and end of the intervention (~5 months after baseline for redeemers; 3 months after baseline for non-redeemers)

    The 18-item United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Household Food Security Module was used to assess household food security status. Scores range 0 to 18. Higher scores indicate greater degrees of food insecurity.

  2. Household nutrition security

    Time frame: Baseline, after receiving each free fruit and vegetable box (~1x/month for 3 months after baseline), and end of the intervention (~5 months after baseline for redeemers; 3 months after baseline for non-redeemers)

    The Household Nutrition Security scale was used to assess a household's ability to acquire foods that meet their nutritional needs without resource limitations or worry. Scores range 0 to 4. Higher scores indicate a greater degree of household nutrition security.

  3. Household healthfulness choice

    Time frame: Baseline, after receiving each free fruit and vegetable box (~1x/month for 3 months after baseline), and end of the intervention (~5 months after baseline for redeemers; 3 months after baseline for non-redeemers)

    The Household Nutrition Security scale was used to assess a household's ability to acquire foods that meet their health needs without resource limitations or worry. Scores range 0 to 4. Higher scores indicate a greater degree of household healthfulness choice.

  4. Household dietary choice

    Time frame: Baseline, after receiving each free fruit and vegetable box (~1x/month for 3 months after baseline), and end of the intervention (~5 months after baseline for redeemers; 3 months after baseline for non-redeemers)

    The Household Dietary Choice scale was used to assess a household's ability to acquire foods that meet their dietary preferences without resource limitations or worry. Scores range 0 to 4. Higher scores indicate a greater degree of household dietary choice

  5. Dietary intake

    Time frame: Baseline, after receiving each free fruit and vegetable box (~1x/month for 3 months after baseline), and end of the intervention (~5 months after baseline for redeemers; 3 months after baseline for non-redeemers)

    The National Cancer Institute's Dietary Screener Questionnaire (DSQ) was used to assess caregiver's report of children's dietary intake. Responses are quantified as cup equivalents per day, grams per day, milligrams per day, ounce equivalents per day, or teaspoon equivalents per day. Whether higher or lower numbers indicate more healthful or less healthful dietary intake is specific to each nutrient.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of South Carolina

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Feasibility of a Pilot Intervention Designed to Increase SNAP Fruit and Vegetable Incentive Program Use for Families With Food Insecurity

Important dates

Study start
2022
Primary completion
2023
Study completion
2023
First posted
Sep 19, 2024
Registry last updated
Sep 19, 2024

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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