A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of a Produce Prescription Program for Adults With Food Insecurity and Obesity.

Background: Produce prescription programs may improve dietary quality and health but have not been well tested among adults with food insecurity and obesity.

Objective: Our aim in this pilot randomized controlled trial was to examine the feasibility and preliminary effects of ProduceRx, a produce program combined with behavioral weight loss counseling, compared with wait-list control (WLC).

Methods: Adults with obesity and food insecurity (N = 32) were randomly assigned to ProduceRx or WLC. ProduceRx had weekly counseling sessions and received $20 of produce vouchers weekly, whereas WLC had a 12-week wait period before enrolling in the program. All participants completed assessments at baseline and 12 weeks.

Results: The retention rate was 90.6%. Groups did not differ significantly in changes in dietary quality, food security, mood, and stress. ProduceRx lost 2.4% ± 0.7% of initial body weight, which was more than WLC who gained 0.4% ± 0.7% ( P = .01). Compared with WLC, ProduceRx had significantly greater improvements in eating self-efficacy ( P = .04).

Conclusions: Produce prescriptions combined with behavioral weight loss demonstrated preliminary feasibility and efficacy in helping adults with food insecurity and obesity.