New research from the University of Washington shows that the City of Seattle's Fresh Bucks program can improve fruit and vegetable intake and food security among low-income populations by providing financial support for purchasing healthy food.
The Fresh Bucks program works with local partners to help Seattle residents access fruit and vegetables. It accepts applications from households with income less than 80% of the area median, US$110,950 for a family of four in 2024. Recipients can use the US$40 per month benefit to purchase fruit and vegetables at more than 40 retail locations across Seattle, including farmers markets, Safeway stores, and independent grocery stores.
The study, published August 19 in JAMA Network Open, reports that Fresh Bucks households experience a 31% higher rate of food security and are 37% more likely to consume at least three daily servings of fruit and vegetables compared to those on the program waitlist.
"I would classify both of those numbers as pretty large," said Jessica Jones-Smith, co-author, UW affiliate professor of health systems and population health, and of epidemiology, and University of California, Irvine professor of health, society, and behavior. "We don't routinely see interventions that work that well. It's a pretty big impact on diet in terms of what we can do from a policy perspective and expect to make a difference in food insecurity."
Food insecurity, defined as a lack of access to nutritionally adequate food, is linked to lower-income households and often associated with poor nutrient intake, diabetes, and hypertension.
Robyn Kumar, Fresh Bucks program manager at the City of Seattle Office of Sustainability, said, "Findings show that the healthy food access program makes a tangible difference for customers, significantly increasing food security and fruit and vegetable intake."
In October 2021, 6,900 households applied for 2022 benefits. Due to limited funding, 4,200 households were randomly selected, and the remainder were placed on a waitlist. A follow-up survey in July 2022 was completed by 1,973 households. The study compared new applicants receiving the benefit and those on the waitlist, as well as returning applicants who either continued or lost benefits. Losing Fresh Bucks reduced food security by 29% and made households 26% less likely to eat fruit and vegetables three times a day.
Melissa Knox, lead author and UW teaching professor of economics, noted, "The people who gained the program saw nearly the same benefit as what was lost by the people who lost the program. So, it seems like two things are going on: One is that the program is helping people, and the other is that these effects don't magically sustain themselves without funding."
For more information:
Melissa Knox
University of Washington
Tel: +1 425 352 5000
Email: [email protected]
www.washington.edu
