Understanding How Food Programs Improve Health for Communities
The FRESH Study: The Fresh Bucks racial equity, socioeconomic & health outcomes study
This project looks at how programs that help people buy fresh fruits and vegetables might improve health for low-income Black and Latinx communities.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Washington NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11097341 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Many people, especially those from low-income Black and Latinx communities, face challenges in eating healthy foods, which can lead to higher risks for heart-related health problems. This project explores how programs that offer financial help to buy fruits and vegetables, like Fresh Bucks, can make it easier to access nutritious food. We want to understand if these programs can improve diet quality and ultimately lead to better health outcomes for participants. The goal is to learn how to design these programs more effectively to reduce health differences caused by income and race.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This project is most relevant to low-income Black and Latinx individuals who experience food insecurity and are at higher risk for heart-related health conditions.
Not a fit: Patients not directly participating in or benefiting from food incentive programs may not see direct individual benefit from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help create better food programs that improve diet quality and reduce the risk of heart-related health issues for people facing economic and racial barriers.
How similar studies have performed: While similar food incentive programs exist, this project aims to understand their effectiveness and how to improve them to address structural barriers more comprehensively.
Where this research is happening
Seattle, United States
- University of Washington — Seattle, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Baquero, Barbara I — University of Washington
- Study coordinator: Baquero, Barbara I
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.