School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
School of Public Health and Social Policy, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
Health Promot Chronic Dis Prev Can. 2024 Jun;44(6):270-278. doi: 10.24095/hpcdp.44.6.03.
Food prescription programs are part of the broader social prescribing movement as an approach to address food insecurity and suboptimal diet in health care settings. These programs exist amid other social services, including income-based supports and food assistance programs; however, evaluations of the interactions between these programs and pre-existing services and supports are limited. This study was embedded within a larger evaluation of the 52-week Fresh Food Prescription (FFRx) program (April 2021-October 2022); the objective of this study was to examine how program participation influenced individuals' interactions with existing income-based supports and food assistance programs.
This study was conducted in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. One-to-one (n = 23) and follow-up (n = 10) interviews were conducted to explore participants' experiences with the program. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically using a constant comparative analysis.
Participants described their experience with FFRx in relation to existing income-based supports and food assistance programs. FFRx reportedly extended income support further to cover living expenses, allowed participants to divert income to other necessities, and reduced the sacrifices required to meet basic needs. FFRx lessened the frequency of accessing other food assistance programs. Aspects of FFRx's design (e.g. food delivery) shaped participant preferences in favour of FFRx over other food supports.
As food prescribing and other social prescribing programs continue to expand, there is a need to evaluate how these initiatives interact with pre-existing services and supports and shape the broader social service landscape.
食品处方计划是更广泛的社会处方运动的一部分，是解决医疗保健环境中粮食不安全和饮食不佳的一种方法。这些计划存在于其他社会服务中，包括基于收入的支持和食品援助计划；然而，评估这些计划与现有服务和支持之间的相互作用的评估有限。本研究嵌入在对为期 52 周的新鲜食品处方（FFRx）计划的更大评估中（2021 年 4 月至 2022 年 10 月）；本研究的目的是研究计划参与如何影响个人与现有基于收入的支持和食品援助计划的互动。
本研究在加拿大安大略省圭尔夫进行。进行了一对一（n = 23）和随访（n = 10）访谈，以探讨参与者对该计划的体验。使用恒定比较分析对定性数据进行主题分析。
参与者描述了他们在 FFRx 与现有基于收入的支持和食品援助计划方面的经验。FFRx 据称将收入支持进一步扩大到覆盖生活费用，允许参与者将收入转移到其他必需品上，并减少满足基本需求所需的牺牲。FFRx 减少了对其他食品援助计划的访问频率。FFRx 的设计方面（例如食品配送）塑造了参与者对 FFRx 的偏好，而不是其他食品支持。
随着食品处方和其他社会处方计划的继续扩大，有必要评估这些举措如何与现有服务和支持相互作用，并塑造更广泛的社会服务格局。
