142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

Annual Meeting Recordings are now available for purchase

304295
Implications of Community Supported Agriculture-Farmshare Programs as Alternative Food Networks

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Monday, November 17, 2014 : 8:50 AM - 9:10 AM

Fayomi Agboola, MPH, RN , Health Education Department, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA
Patti Herring, PhD, RN , School of Public Health, Department of Health Promotion & Education, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA
Daniel Handysides, DrPH , Health Education, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA
Mark Ghamsary, PhD , Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics & Population Medicine, Loma Linda University School of Public health, Loma Linda, CA
Peter Gleason, Ph.D. , School of Public Health, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA
INTRODUCTION- The Retail Food Environment Index (RFEI), a rating of stores offering mainly unhealthy foods compared to their healthy counterparts] for San Bernardino County in 2007 was 5.7 while California’s was 4.2. High RFEIs indicate ‘food deserts’ where affordable, quality foods are inaccessible due to physical/social/economic/other barriers. Community-Supported-Agriculture-Farmshare programs can supplement other food environment/justice efforts, thereby bridging the food-access gap.

METHODS- For 13 weeks, participants in Waterman Gardens (WGC), a low socio-economic community in San Bernardino, California will receive free Farmshare produce, and will participate in weekly health education, and physical activity sessions. The comparison group, residents within 5-mile of WGC will participate in a weekly physical activity program, and will be waitlisted for similar intervention as intervention’s but moderately incentivized. Study period is April 2014- April 2015. All participants will be surveyed at weeks one, seven, and thirteen of the Farmshare distribution season.

RESULTS- For analyses, repeated-measures analysis-of-variance [comparing trends of outcome variables between intervention and comparison groups across the 3 milestone data collection times (weeks 1, 7, and 13)] will be utilized. Outcome variables include: participants’ BMI/percentage body fat/muscle/visceral fat/resting metabolism/estimated body age; their fruit and vegetables intake/attitudes/subjective norms/perceived behavioral control on practices relative to CSA-Farmshare programs.

DISCUSSION- Study addresses at least two key barriers in CSA-Farmshare programs: economics and education-knowledge about essence of such programs-barriers. The report, replicable nationally, state-wide, county-wide, or at district levels may be a tool to support policy interventions for better access to healthy foods across different socio-economic levels.

Learning Areas:

Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Advocacy for health and health education
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related education
Public health or related nursing

Learning Objectives:
Define community supported agriculture (CSA)Farmshare program as an alternative food network (AFN) List 3 alternative food networks that can provide healthier food options apart from the traditional “spot” markets e.g. large scale corporate stores Describe 3 benefits of CSA Farmshare program in the community Describe how CSA Farmshare program involvement affects the immediate and global environment

Keyword(s): Nutrition, Accessibility

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been trained to competently present on the topic: Community Supported Agriculture-Farmshare programs. My backgrounds in Biological Sciences (B Sc), Nursing (BSN), and Environmental Epidemiology (MPH) have prepared me adequately with the tools for conducting sound research, the preparations, and associated presentations. I have been privy to mentorship by astute health professionals from previous scholarship programs I have been a recipient of, for example, Robertwood Johnsons Scholars, and Randall Lewis Health Policy Fellowship programs.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.