Granger

Researchers are evaluating a program called The Value of Our Health (Our Value) designed to encourage people living in rural areas to eat more fruits and vegetables. This program focuses on rural Latino communities in central Washington State, where barriers like limited fresh produce access and long travel distances to stores affect healthy eating. The study aims to see if customers shopping at stores using Our Value eat more fruits and vegetables compared to customers at other stores. It is a hybrid type I cluster-randomized controlled trial conducted in three rural counties. The program lasts 12 months and is delivered by community health workers (CHWs) in small, independent grocery stores. During the first 6 months, CHWs work directly with store staff to plan and implement changes that encourage fruit and vegetable purchasing and consumption, including staff training and point-of-purchase campaigns with recipes and fresh produce highlights. The store managers and employees then take over activities during months 7 to 12, with CHWs providing technical assistance to support ongoing changes. Participants will complete surveys to measure their fruit and vegetable purchasing and eating habits at the start and after 6 months. The study tracks customer behaviors, store changes, and community factors to understand how the intervention affects healthy food access. The results will help develop new tools and evidence for promoting health and reducing chronic disease disparities in rural Latino communities.