Differences in mobile food market customer outcomes between 2019 and 2021.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the outcomes of increasing mobile market service from mostly biweekly in 2019 to weekly in 2021.

DESIGN

Repeated, cross-sectional customer intercept surveys.

SAMPLE

Mobile market customers in Summers 2019 (N = 302) and 2021 (N = 72).

INTERVENTION

Mobile food markets bring affordable, high-quality foods to communities that lack such access.

MEASURES/ANALYSIS: Outcomes included food security, fruit/vegetable intake, and food-related characteristics and behaviors. General linear and logistic regression models were used to assess associations between outcomes and survey year and length of mobile market shopping. Models were adjusted for economic assistance use, race, and ethnicity.

RESULTS

No outcomes were significantly different between 2019 (with mostly biweekly service) and 2021 (with weekly service). Length of mobile market shopping (e.g., >2 years, 1-2 years, etc.) was positively associated with affordable, quality food access (β = 0.20, SE = 0.10, p = .03) and fruit/vegetable intake (β = 0.28, SE = 0.08, p < .001) as well as lower odds of food insecurity in the last 12 months (aOR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.64, 0.99).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite COVID-19 interrupting scheduled market service, the length of time that a survey respondent identified as a full-service mobile market customer was associated with higher food access and fruit/vegetable intake and reduced food insecurity odds. These findings suggest promise and encourage further evaluation.