Suboptimal diet quality is estimated to be the first leading risk factor for death in the U.S., which disproportionately impacts marginalized populations such as immigrants. Community-supported agriculture programs (CSAs) have been shown to improve diet quality, but are often inaccessible for immigrants with lower incomes due to culturally mismatched produce and upfront payment models. In collaboration with our community partners, we implemented a subsidized CSA program and assessed whether access to culturally specific produce improves diet outcomes among Chinese- and Mexican- immigrant families in Brooklyn, New York.

Methods:

Our 20-week subsidized CSA program (June-October 2023) was comprised of 138 individuals. The program consisted of weekly Chinese- and Mexican-specific produce pickups, in-language recipe cards, and nutrition workshops. Participants completed a self-reported survey and skin carotenoid scan at the beginning and end of the program. We also collected pre-post data from 340 Chinese and Mexican individuals in Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx to comprise a comparison community sample. We utilized linear mixed effects interaction models to assess whether the pre-post change in diet outcomes among our CSA participants differed from that of the comparison community.

Results:

At the end of the program, CSA participants demonstrated higher skin carotenoid scores (b=26.3, p=0.005), higher past-day fruit and vegetable intake (b=0.37, p=0.035), greater past-month vegetable variety in their diets (b=2.94, p<0.001), and greater fruit and vegetable preparation knowledge (b=1.33, p=0.004) relative to those in comparison communities.

Discussion:

CSA programs that are subsidized and culturally specific may be key for improving diet in immigrant communities.