Low-Income Individuals' Perceptions About Fruit and Vegetable Access Programs: A Qualitative Study

Objective: To examine how fruit and vegetable (FV) programs address barriers to FV access and consumption as perceived by low-income individuals.

Design: From 2011 to 2012, the researchers used 13 focus groups to better understand low-income individuals' perceptions about FV programs.

Setting: Five North Carolina counties at community-serving organizations.

Participants: Low-income participants aged ≥ 18 years were included in the study. A majority were African American women with a high school education or less, and received government assistance.

Phenomenon of interest: Low-income individuals' perceptions about how FV access programs can reduce barriers and increase consumption.

Analysis: A socio-ecological framework guided data analysis, and 2 trained researchers coded transcripts, identified major themes, and summarized findings.

Results: A total of 105 participants discussed how mobile markets could overcome barriers such as availability, convenience, transportation, and quality/variety. Some were worried about safety in higher-crime communities. Participants' opinions about how successful food assistance programs were at overcoming cost barriers were mixed. Participants agreed that community gardens could increase access to affordable, conveniently located produce but worried about feasibility and implementation issues.

Implications for research and practice: Addressing access barriers through FV programs could improve consumption. Programs have the potential to be successful if they address multiple access barriers.