Study of the Eat Well Produce Prescription Program for Veterans with Hypertension, Diabetes, or Obesity at Risk of Food Insecurity

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to study how a produce prescription program called Eat Well affects the health and healthcare use of Veterans, especially those facing food insecurity in North Carolina. Food insecurity, meaning limited access to safe and healthy food, affects about one in four Veteran households and can worsen conditions like diabetes and increase healthcare costs. The study focuses on Veterans with hypertension and related conditions to learn how providing healthy food support may improve their outcomes. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups receiving 100 per month in Eat Well benefits for 6 months, receiving 100 per month in Eat Well benefits for 12 months, or continuing with the standard care without the Eat Well program. Those in the Eat Well groups will also receive guidance on enrolling in VA programs for health and nutrition support. The study will compare these groups over a 12-month period to assess differences in health and healthcare usage. Throughout the study, researchers will monitor changes in participants systolic blood pressure as the primary outcome, as well as hemoglobin A1c levels and healthcare visits such as inpatient, outpatient, emergency department, and health promotion program participation. The study will enroll 1,500 Veterans and collect data over the course of 12 months to evaluate the impact of the produce prescription program on health and resource use.

'Eat Well' Produce Prescription RCT