Impact of Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentives on Household Fruit and Vegetable Expenditures

Objective Evaluate the impact of Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) grant program on self-reported fruit and vegetable (FV) expenditures. Design Pre-post quasi-experimental study design. Setting Farmers markets grocery stores in states with FINI projects. Participants A total 2,471 Supplemental Assistance Program (SNAP) households 4 intervention groups who lived near a retailer (farmers market or store) matched comparison did not live retailer. Main Outcome Measures Awareness use point-of-sale incentives changes monthly household FV Analysis Ordinary least squares intent-to-treat regression model using lagged dependent variable framework. Results was higher among were had shopped there before than those but FINI; number information sources from which SNAP participants heard about positively associated incentive receipt (P < 0.05). Among received incentives, average amount at last shopping trip ranged $15 to $23. The positive expenditures for farmers shopper, store general groups—increases $9 Conclusions Implications Point-of-sale an increase households. Further research is needed examine (1) effective messaging strategies awareness (2) long-term