Nutrition Policy Institute, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California, Oakland, CA 94607, USA.
Center for Community Health, Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
Nutrients. 2023 Jun 9;15(12):2684. doi: 10.3390/nu15122684.
We developed and sent a series of five monthly text messages promoting fruit and vegetable consumption to approximately 170,000 SNAP participants in San Diego County, California. The text messages, which were sent in English and Spanish, included links to a dedicated bilingual website offering additional information, including how to select, store, and prepare seasonal fruits and vegetables, health benefits of different fruits and vegetables, recipes, and tips to reduce food waste. To our knowledge, this represents the first instance of a SNAP agency providing nutrition information directly to SNAP participants. We conducted seven focus groups (four in English and three in Spanish) with a convenience sample of twenty-six text message recipients, to elicit their perceptions of this intervention, self-reported behavior changes, and recommendations for moving forward. Respondents reported overwhelmingly positive perceptions of this effort, including increased intake of fruits and vegetables, and trying new fruits and vegetables. Participants also reported improved perceptions of SNAP. Virtually all would like this effort to continue, and many would like to receive the messages more frequently than once a month. This effort represents a relatively low-cost approach that SNAP agencies can implement to provide SNAP participants with food and nutrition information that can help them to improve their diets, optimize their food dollars, and enhance their feelings of well-being related to participating in the program.
我们向加利福尼亚州圣地亚哥县约 17 万名 SNAP 参与者发送了一系列五条每月一次的促进水果和蔬菜消费的短信。这些短信以英文和西班牙文两种语言发送，其中包含一个专门的双语网站链接，提供更多信息，包括如何选择、储存和准备应季水果和蔬菜、不同水果和蔬菜的健康益处、食谱以及减少食物浪费的提示。据我们所知，这是 SNAP 机构首次直接向 SNAP 参与者提供营养信息。我们对二十六个短信收件人进行了七组焦点小组（四组英文，三组西班牙文）的调查，以了解他们对这一干预措施的看法、自我报告的行为变化以及推进工作的建议。受访者对这一努力的评价非常积极，包括增加了水果和蔬菜的摄入量，以及尝试了新的水果和蔬菜。参与者还报告说对 SNAP 的看法有所改善。几乎所有人都希望这项工作继续下去，许多人希望每月收到的信息不止一次。这项工作代表了一种相对低成本的方法，SNAP 机构可以实施，为 SNAP 参与者提供与食物和营养相关的信息，帮助他们改善饮食、优化食品消费、并增强他们参与该计划的幸福感。
