Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health, Michigan State University-Hurley Children's Hospital Pediatric Public Health Initiative, Flint, MI, USA.
Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, East Lansing, MI, USA.
J Nutr Sci. 2024 Sep 18;13:e33. doi: 10.1017/jns.2024.33. eCollection 2024.
Paediatric fruit and vegetable prescription programmes hold promise in improving food security and dietary patterns among youth. However, programme success is largely dependent upon caregiver and family engagement. The current study sought to gain a better understanding of environmental barriers to engagement in a paediatric fruit and vegetable prescription programme in one low-income, urban community (Flint, Michigan, USA). Following the implementation of a paediatric fruit and vegetable prescription programme, researchers conducted thirty-two semi-structured interviews with caregivers. Researchers explored caregivers' understanding of the fruit and vegetable prescription programme, barriers to programme engagement, and recommendations for improvement. Telephone interviews were transcribed for textual analysis. Researchers used thematic analysis to examine qualitative data, determine patterns across transcripts, and develop emerging themes. Researchers concluded interviews when data saturation was reached. The majority of participants were female (94%), African American (66%), and residents of Flint (72%). Five recurrent themes emerged: (1) nutrition security; (2) prescription distribution; (3) prescription redemption; (4) educational supports; and (5) programme modifications. Although caregivers indicated that the prescription programme addressed household food insecurity, environmental barriers to engagement were apparent. Caregivers provided suggestions, such as partnering with large grocery stores and developing digital prescriptions, to address programme engagement challenges. Fundamental to the success of fruit and vegetable prescription programmes is the understanding of barriers to engagement from the perspective of participants. This study explores challenges with one paediatric fruit and vegetable prescription programme and provides actionable solutions, from the viewpoint of caregivers, to address these challenges.
儿科蔬果处方方案有望改善青少年的食品安全和饮食模式。然而，该方案的成功在很大程度上取决于照顾者和家庭的参与度。本研究旨在深入了解在一个低收入的城市社区（美国密歇根州弗林特市）实施儿科蔬果处方方案时所面临的参与障碍。在实施儿科蔬果处方方案后，研究人员对 32 名照顾者进行了半结构化访谈。研究人员探讨了照顾者对蔬果处方方案的理解、参与方案的障碍，以及改进方案的建议。对电话访谈进行了转录，以便进行文本分析。研究人员采用主题分析方法来检验定性数据，确定转录本中的模式，并得出新的主题。当达到数据饱和时，研究人员结束了访谈。大多数参与者为女性（94%）、非裔美国人（66%），并居住在弗林特（72%）。五个反复出现的主题包括：（1）营养安全；（2）处方分配；（3）处方兑换；（4）教育支持；和（5）方案修改。尽管照顾者表示该处方方案解决了家庭的粮食不安全问题，但参与方案的环境障碍依然明显。照顾者提出了一些建议，如与大型杂货店合作并开发数字处方，以解决参与方案的挑战。蔬果处方方案成功的关键在于从参与者的角度理解参与障碍。本研究探讨了一个儿科蔬果处方方案所面临的挑战，并从照顾者的角度提供了可行的解决方案，以应对这些挑战。
