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