Objective
Low-income households devote fewer dollars per person to the purchase of fruits and vegetables (FV). Eating FV in place of more energy-dense foods is associated with body weight management and reduced risk for many chronic diseases. Social marketing (SM) interventions have shown to influence health behavior, thus, Ohio SNAP-Ed is developing a SM campaign to increase FV demand and consumption among the target population. This study's purpose was to explore dietary patterns and motivations/barriers to FV consumption among Ohio SNAP-eligible families to inform campaign development.
Study Design, Setting, Participants
Cross-sectional, mixed methods approach using focus groups and an online survey. Participants were primarily SNAP-eligible adults at or below 185% poverty with children living in the home.
Outcome Measures and Analysis
Family characteristics (e.g., income, ethnicity, number of children in household); behaviors related to purchasing, preparation, and consumption of FV; motivators and barriers associated with eating FV. Focus groups were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis techniques in NVivo. Three trained researchers coded survey responses and distilled collective findings into thematic observations.
Results
Thirteen themes emerged, including the prevailing influence of cost, family member taste preferences, and shelf life on food purchases. Nearly half (48.1%) of the target population felt that they eat “enough” fruits and vegetables, despite reporting intake levels well below USDA recommendations.
Conclusions and Implications
The economic, social, and environmental barriers to FV consumption identified by Ohio SNAP-eligible adults justify a need for innovative SM strategies to enhance existing SNAP-Ed programs. Consideration of such barriers will ultimately guide and strengthen the design of a SM campaign.
Funding
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - Education
Supplementary data
- Supplementary Data
Article info
Publication history
P187
Identification
Copyright
© 2017 Published by Elsevier Inc.
