Recipient Organization
COMMUNITY ACTION PARTNERSHIP OF ORANGE COUNTY
11870 MONARCH ST
GARDEN GROVE,CA 92841
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The OC Produce Prescription Program will reduce food insecurity and improve health outcomes for low-income adults struggling with diabetes. The program seeks to bring together health care systems, a trusted community-based nonprofit and a retail grocer to help improve chronic disease management and improve the health of individuals living in disinvested communities. Each month 60 participants will receive a voucher from Northgate Markets to purchase fresh produce, legumes and more to help improve their diabetes. The OC Food Bank, a program of Community Action Partnership of Orange County (CAP OC) will provide an additional monthly produce box to help supplement their food. Participants will be encouraged to attend nutrition education workshops and Chef-led demonstrations on how to prepare and cook healthy food items over the course of the program. The project will partner with St. Jude Neighborhood Health Centers (SJNHC), a Federally Qualified Health Center located in Anaheim, California. SJNHC will identify participants of the program and will track improvements in health throughout the duration of the program.Participants will be asked to take a survey at the onset of the program and at the conclusion of the program to measure program effectiveness. SJNHC will measure the A1C scores related to each participant's diabetes diagnosis to measure improvement in these scores. The goal would be to lower these scores and improve overall health for each individual enlisted in program. At the conclusion, participants will feel more confidant in making healthy food choices, understand how to prepare healthy food, and feel more in control of their health.The findings of the program will identify if this type of intervention will improve health outcomes. Low-income communities are disproportionately affected by chronic health conditions due to environmental factors, lack of access and/or ability to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables on a consistent basis, and sometimes a lack of trust in medical providers. By applying a three-pronged approach; engaging a trusted nonprofit, a local medical provider who will track health improvements over time, and a retailer this project will provide critical information to help guide future interventions in health care. If we as a community are able to address barriers can we improve health inequities? The OC Produce Prescription Program believes that when you bring together and combine resources with various sectors - private, community, and government - you can create effective change.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
100%
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
Goals of the OC Produce Prescription Project are to:1. Reduce food insecurity among low-income members of the Orange County community who have been diagnosed with diabetes.2. Improve health indicators for these individuals.3. Establish long-term healthy habits that reduce healthcare costs.4. Better understand the effect of accessible fresh fruits and vegetables and healthy foods on an individual's health, specifically as it relates to diabetes.
Project Methods
The OC Produce Prescription Program will use participatory-mixed-method, which is a widely accepted effective approach to address complex social and health inequities. Pre and post-surveys will be collected from all participants enrolled in the program to obtain baseline and post-program data. Surveys will be conducted in multiple languages and include questions regarding the participant's healthcare utilization, diabetes knowledge, food insecurity, and lifestyle (diet and exercise). The duration of the program will also include evaluating quantitative data in regard to improvement in diabetes and overall health, while also maintaining HIPPA compliance.