Effects of a food hub initiative in a disadvantaged community: A quasi-experimental evaluation

Patricia A Sharpe; Bethany A Bell; Angela D Liese; Sara Wilcox; Jessica Stucker; Brent E Hutto

doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2020.102341

Effects of a food hub initiative in a disadvantaged community: A quasi-experimental evaluation

Health Place. 2020 May:63:102341. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2020.102341. Epub 2020 Apr 24.

Authors

Patricia A Sharpe¹, Bethany A Bell², Angela D Liese³, Sara Wilcox⁴, Jessica Stucker⁵, Brent E Hutto⁶

Affiliations

¹ Prevention Research Center, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 921 Assembly Street, Columbia, SC, 29208, United States. Electronic address: sharpep@mailbox.sc.edu.
² College of Social Work, University of South Carolina, 1512 Pendelton Street, Columbia, SC, 29208, United States. Electronic address: BELLB@mailbox.sc.edu.
³ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Columbia, SC, 29208, United States. Electronic address: LIESE@mailbox.sc.edu.
⁴ Prevention Research Center, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 921 Assembly Street, Columbia, SC, 29208, United States; Department of Exercise Science, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 921 Assembly Street, Columbia, SC, 29208, United States. Electronic address: wilcoxs@mailbox.sc.edu.
⁵ Prevention Research Center, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 921 Assembly Street, Columbia, SC, 29208, United States. Electronic address: jstucker@mailbox.sc.edu.
⁶ Prevention Research Center, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 921 Assembly Street, Columbia, SC, 29208, United States. Electronic address: brent@brenthutto.com.

Abstract

A quasi-experiment evaluated a food hub's (FH) impact in a low-income/low-access (food desert) setting on fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake, diet quality, kilocalories, perceived food environment, BMI, and farmers' market shopping versus a matched community (n = 265 FH, n = 262 Comparison). Comparison shoppers had better baseline perceptions of their food environment, but FH shoppers improved significantly more than Comparison shoppers. Comparison shoppers significantly increased F&V intake versus FH shoppers. Effects were not significant for other diet outcomes, BMI, or farmers' market shopping. Factors besides spacial access to healthy food need consideration to address dietary intake and obesity in disadvantaged communities.

Keywords: Diet; Farmers' market; Food desert; Food environment; Food hub; Obesity.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Adult
Body Mass Index
Commerce*
Diet / statistics & numerical data*
Diet Surveys
Farmers*
Female
Food Supply / standards*
Fruit
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
North Carolina / epidemiology
Obesity / epidemiology
Poverty*
Vegetables

Grants and funding

R01 CA180336/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States