Lagisetty Pooja, Flamm Laura, Rak Summer, Landgraf Jessica, Heisler Michele, Forman Jane
Division of General Internal Medicine at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
VA Ann Arbor Center for Clinical Management Research, North Campus Research Center, University of Michigan, 2800 Plymouth Road, Bldg 16 Rm 345E, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
BMC Public Health. 2017 Oct 23;17(1):837. doi: 10.1186/s12889-017-4864-9.
Increasing access to healthy foods and beverages in disadvantaged communities is a public health priority due to alarmingly high rates of obesity. The Virtual Supermarket Program (VSP) is a Baltimore City Health Department program that uses online grocery ordering to deliver food to low-income neighborhoods. This study evaluates stakeholder preferences and barriers of program implementation.
This study assessed the feasibility, sustainability and efficacy of the VSP by surveying 93 customers and interviewing 14 programmatic stakeholders who had recently used the VSP or been involved with program design and implementation.
We identified the following themes: The VSP addressed transportation barriers and food availability. The VSP impacted customers and the city by including improving food purchasing behavior, creating a food justice "brand for the city", and fostering a sense of community. Customers appreciated using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to pay for groceries, but policy changes are needed allow online processing of SNAP benefits.
This evaluation summarizes lessons learned and serves as a guide to other public health leaders interested in developing similar programs. Provisions in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Bill 2014 allow for select grocers to pilot online transactions with SNAP benefits. If these pilots are efficacious, the VSP model could be easily disseminated.
由于肥胖率高得惊人，增加弱势群体社区获取健康食品和饮料的机会成为公共卫生的一项优先任务。虚拟超市计划（VSP）是巴尔的摩市卫生部门的一个项目，该项目利用在线食品杂货订购服务为低收入社区配送食品。本研究评估了利益相关者对该项目实施的偏好和障碍。
本研究通过对93名顾客进行调查，并对14名项目利益相关者进行访谈，评估了虚拟超市计划的可行性、可持续性和有效性，这些利益相关者最近使用过该计划或参与了项目设计与实施。
我们确定了以下主题：虚拟超市计划解决了交通障碍和食品供应问题。虚拟超市计划通过改善食品购买行为、打造城市的食品公平“品牌”以及增强社区意识，对顾客和城市产生了影响。顾客赞赏使用补充营养援助计划（SNAP）福利来支付食品杂货费用，但需要政策变革以允许在线处理SNAP福利。
本评估总结了经验教训，并为其他有意开展类似项目的公共卫生领导者提供了指导。美国农业部（USDA）2014年农业法案中的条款允许特定杂货商试点使用SNAP福利进行在线交易。如果这些试点有效，虚拟超市计划模式将易于推广。
