Produce Prescription To Address Food Insecurity Among Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) Students
Diet-Related Chronic Diseases (DRCDs) like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease cause significant disease burdens, much of which can be prevented through health behavior changes. Complex social and environmental factors like food insecurity and lack of access contribute to poor health outcomes. Multilevel, community-engaged interventions are needed to address health disparities. Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) is an 1890 land-grant institution located within the city of Prairie View, TX in Waller County. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines a food desert as a community where residents travel at least a half a mile in urban areas or 10+ miles in rural areas to obtain food. As a rural food desert, in 2016 it was determined that 19% of residents are food insecure with a lack of access to healthy, affordable food options. Those without private transportation may walk even farther for access to food.
To address campus food insecurity, PVAMU resources include a Food Pantry, Student-led Community Garden, Panther Meal Share Program, and the newly established Integrated Food Security Research Center (IFSRC). Even with these resources, the development and evaluation of interventions that target the social and environmental drivers of health in underserved communities remains an urgent need.
About Us
Our group of researchers within the Agriculture and Nutrition department at PVAMU’s College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (CAFNR) aims to conduct an in-depth needs assessment of diet-related chronic diseases (DRCDs) and food insecurity issues among PVAMU students and the surrounding community. By surveying students and locals, we will determine:
- Prevalence of DRCDs like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease on campus and in the community
- Rates of food insecurity among the student body
- Awareness and use of existing campus resources that address food access issues
- Gaps in nutrition knowledge and barriers to healthy eating habits
- Available food outlets and locations to exercise within 10 miles of PVAMU
Produce Prescription Program
Purpose of the Intervention Study
The purpose of the study is to develop and evaluate community-engaged interventions to address food insecurity, improve diet and reduce risk of chronic diseases among PVAMU students. The program is a 12-week research study that will help researchers assess the effectiveness of community-engaged interventions and reduce food insecurity at PVAMU.
To be eligible for this study, you must be:
- 18 years or older
- A PVAMU student
- Diabetic or Prediabetic or have a high blood pressure or overweight
- Food insecure or a student with low income
Students who participate in the study will:
- Receive a $100 gift card
- Have access to free produce (depending on the group assignment)
- Develop personal nutritional goals
- Work alongside remarkable researchers, practitioners, and specialists
On Going Projects
To address campus food insecurity, PVAMU resources include a Food Pantry, Student-led Community Garden, Panther Meal Share Program, and the newly established Integrated Food Security Research Center (IFSRC). Even with these resources, the development and evaluation of interventions that target the social and environmental drivers of health in underserved communities remains an urgent need.
Our team at PVAMU is currently implementing and evaluating a Produce Prescription program aimed at reducing food insecurity, obesity, diabetes, and associated health costs among the student population. A needs assessment conducted in 2022 revealed high rates of food insecurity (63.5%) and diet-related chronic conditions among students, coupled with low awareness of existing campus food access resources. Barriers to healthy eating included poor transportation, limited healthy food options, and minimal cooking facilities. The Produce Prescription program will provide 70 selected students dealing with food insecurity and conditions like prediabetes or hypertension with regular boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables, nutrition education, cooking demonstration sessions, and connections to federal food assistance programs. Control group participants will only receive the nutrition education and cooking demonstration sessions for comparison.
The year-long intervention with follow-up intervals will gather both quantitative survey data and qualitative focus groups feedback to evaluate changes in diet quality, food security status, use of campus food resources, disease markers, and more. The findings from this study will guide efforts to strengthen campus services and policies around food access. By increasing affordable nutrition and promoting sustainable behavior change, our goal is to reduce the burden of chronic disease and associated healthcare costs.
