Nutrition Education and e-Texting to Increase Access to Fresh Produce

Nutrition Ed, Access and Texting (NEAT): Combining the Hartford Mobile Market With e-Marketing

The proposed project, Nutrition Ed, Access and Texting (NEAT): Combining the Hartford Mobile Market with e-Marketing , uses an e-technology social marketing strategy to promote use of a recently launched mobile produce market among SNAP-Ed recipients. This study will potentially increase fresh produce access and intake by combining an innovative food system change (produce mobile market) with existing SNAP-Ed nutrition education curriculum and the use of e-marketing technology.

The proposed project, Nutrition Ed, Access and Texting (NEAT): Combining the Hartford Mobile Market with e-Marketing uses an e-technology social marketing strategy to promote use of a recently launched mobile produce market among SNAP-Ed recipients. This study will potentially increase fresh produce access and intake by combining an innovative food system change (produce mobile market) with existing SNAP-Ed nutrition education curriculum and the use of e-marketing technology. Thus, the study combines key elements that have been deemed necessary for increasing produce intake among low income communities. The goal of the NEAT study is to assess the impact of a texting-based social marketing campaign on SNAP-Ed participants' access to and purchase of fresh produce on a recently launched mobile produce market, and their subsequent produce intake. Objectives include: 1) Compare the impact of nutrition education alone to nutrition education plus promotional text messaging on purchase of fruits and vegetables; 2) Compare the impact of nutrition education alone to nutrition education plus promotional text messaging on consumption of fruits and vegetables; and 3) Assess the effectiveness of coupon distribution on coupon redemption at a mobile produce market. The NEAT design will be a randomized controlled trial using a pre-post assessment comparing change in behavior. Both intervention and control groups will receive SNAP-Ed education as currently delivered by the Hispanic Health Council. The intervention group will receive additional promotional text messaging related to use of the mobile market. The control group will receive text messaging about free activities taking place at the Hartford Public Library and other community locations. Participants will be interviewed via phone at baseline, then randomized to intervention and control groups, and re-interviewed again 6 weeks after they start receiving the text messages, which it will be 2 weeks after the one-month texting period ends.

Inclusion Criteria:

• SNAP eligible participants with children under 5 years old living at home.
• Living in Hartford, CT.
• Having a cell phone with unlimited smart phone data plans.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Not living in Hartford Less than 18 years old