Browsing by Author "Hedges, Sam"

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    A Preliminary Evaluation of Virginia Fresh Match: Impacts and Demographic Considerations for Future Fruit and Vegetable Incentive Programs
    Misyak, Sarah A.; Parker, Molly K.; Ledlie Johnson, Meredith; Hedges, Sam; Borst, Elizabeth; McNamara Best, Maureen; Hedrick, Valisa E. (MDPI, 2022-04-05)
    The purpose of this communication is to describe the preliminary evaluation of the Virginia Fresh Match (VFM) financial incentive program for fresh fruits and vegetables for Virginia Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program shoppers and to determine if there were differences in incentive outcomes by race. In this cross-sectional study, a questionnaire was administered to shoppers using Virginia Fresh Match incentives at participating farmers markets and community-based food retail outlets. Repeated measures ANOVAs were used to detect differences in fruit and vegetable consumption between demographic groups over time. Chi-square tests were used to determine if there were associations between race and perceived impact of VFM incentives on making food last and the attribution of VFM incentives to changes in fruit and vegetable consumption frequency. Frequency of fruit and vegetable intake was significantly higher during VFM incentive use, with a difference of 1.17 ± 0.07 and 1.07 ± 0.07 on a Likert scale measure, respectively (p ≤ 0.001). There were racial differences in assertions that VFM incentives helped food to last. VFM incentives were effective at increasing fruit and vegetable consumption, but racial differences should be considered in the administration of VFM to avoid reinforcing systems or approaches that may contribute to disparities in food access and food security.
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    SNAP participants' purchasing patterns at a food co-op during the COVID-19 pandemic: A preliminary analysis
    Parker, Molly K.; Hedrick, Valisa E.; Hedges, Sam; Borst, Elizabeth; Johnson, Meredith Ledlie; Best, Maureen McNamara; Misyak, Sarah A. (2021-04-01)
    The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the food system, increasing barriers to food access and exacerbating food insecurity across the U.S. The Virginia state government initiated a stay-at- home order to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Prior to the pandemic, the Virginia Fresh Match (VFM) Nutrition Incentive Network partnered with food retail outlets to provide Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants point-of-purchase incentives (e.g., Double Up Food Bucks, SNAP Match), which function as matching discounts on fresh fruits and vegetables (F/V). These can enable participants to increase their purchasing power and potentially reduce food insecurity. In response to COVID-19, VFM removed the limit on incentive discounts (previously $101) to further incentivize the purchase of fresh F/V by SNAP participants. This study sought to characterize the purchasing patterns of SNAP participants at a food co-operative (co-op) partnered with VFM before and during the Virginia stay-at-home order. A total of 654 transactions at the co-op were included. Independent t-tests were utilized to determine differences before and during the order. The results indicated a significant increase in the mean incentive discount received during the order (pre-shutdown=$3.95, inter-shutdown=$5.01, p=0.035); however, simultaneously there was a decrease in the mean number of fresh F/V purchased (pre-shutdown=3.08, inter-shutdown=2.39, p=0.015). Although F/V purchases decreased, the presence of unlimited point-of-purchase incentives at the food co-op may have helped prevent a greater decline in fresh F/V purchases and helped increase access to fresh F/V in this population during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.