Systematic review of fruit and vegetable voucher interventions for pregnant women and families with young children
Abstract Objective: This systematic review aimed to explore the impact of food voucher schemes during pregnancy and early life on fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption and explore experiences of schemes. Design: Six electronic databases and grey literature sources were searched. Intervention...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cambridge University Press
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Public Health Nutrition |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1368980025100657/type/journal_article |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849233341282254848 |
|---|---|
| author | Grace Grove Nida Ziauddeen Mary Malone Dianna Smith Nisreen A. Alwan |
| author_facet | Grace Grove Nida Ziauddeen Mary Malone Dianna Smith Nisreen A. Alwan |
| author_sort | Grace Grove |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Abstract
Objective:
This systematic review aimed to explore the impact of food voucher schemes during pregnancy and early life on fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption and explore experiences of schemes.
Design:
Six electronic databases and grey literature sources were searched. Interventional, observational, qualitative and mixed methods studies published from January 2000 to April 2024 in English were included.
Setting:
Food voucher interventions targeting F&V intake.
Participants:
Low-income pregnant women and families with young children (aged under 5 years).
Results:
7344 peer reviewed records and 103 grey literature documents were screened. Sixteen peer reviewed studies (across eighteen reports) and eight grey literature documents met the inclusion criteria. All studies took place in the UK or the USA. There was a lack of consistency across primary quantitative outcomes. Overall, F&V voucher schemes did appear to increase fruit and/or vegetable consumption, but confidence in this finding was low. Qualitative data were more consistent. F&V vouchers were used in three main ways; as a financial benefit to subsidise food already being purchased, to increase the quantity or variety of F&V purchased, or as a safety net, to be used to ensure that the family had something to eat.
Conclusions:
F&V vouchers may increase F&V intake and are positively received by recipients. This review also highlights some of the difficulties that researchers face in evaluating the impact of public health measures to improve population health. It is clear that more high-quality research is required to better understand the impacts of F&V vouchers on individual outcomes.
|
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9de287cbf7d142b5b3e006d502fe2718 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1368-9800 1475-2727 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Public Health Nutrition |
| spelling | doaj-art-9de287cbf7d142b5b3e006d502fe27182025-08-20T08:07:08ZengCambridge University PressPublic Health Nutrition1368-98001475-27272025-01-012810.1017/S1368980025100657Systematic review of fruit and vegetable voucher interventions for pregnant women and families with young childrenGrace Grove0Nida Ziauddeen1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8964-5029Mary Malone2Dianna Smith3Nisreen A. Alwan4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4134-8463School of Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Wessex, Southampton, UKSchool of Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Wessex, Southampton, UKKing’s College London, London, UKNIHR Applied Research Collaboration Wessex, Southampton, UK School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, UKSchool of Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Wessex, Southampton, UK University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK Abstract Objective: This systematic review aimed to explore the impact of food voucher schemes during pregnancy and early life on fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption and explore experiences of schemes. Design: Six electronic databases and grey literature sources were searched. Interventional, observational, qualitative and mixed methods studies published from January 2000 to April 2024 in English were included. Setting: Food voucher interventions targeting F&V intake. Participants: Low-income pregnant women and families with young children (aged under 5 years). Results: 7344 peer reviewed records and 103 grey literature documents were screened. Sixteen peer reviewed studies (across eighteen reports) and eight grey literature documents met the inclusion criteria. All studies took place in the UK or the USA. There was a lack of consistency across primary quantitative outcomes. Overall, F&V voucher schemes did appear to increase fruit and/or vegetable consumption, but confidence in this finding was low. Qualitative data were more consistent. F&V vouchers were used in three main ways; as a financial benefit to subsidise food already being purchased, to increase the quantity or variety of F&V purchased, or as a safety net, to be used to ensure that the family had something to eat. Conclusions: F&V vouchers may increase F&V intake and are positively received by recipients. This review also highlights some of the difficulties that researchers face in evaluating the impact of public health measures to improve population health. It is clear that more high-quality research is required to better understand the impacts of F&V vouchers on individual outcomes. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1368980025100657/type/journal_articleFruit and vegetablesDiet qualityChildrenVoucher scheme |
| spellingShingle | Grace Grove Nida Ziauddeen Mary Malone Dianna Smith Nisreen A. Alwan Systematic review of fruit and vegetable voucher interventions for pregnant women and families with young children Public Health Nutrition Fruit and vegetables Diet quality Children Voucher scheme |
| title | Systematic review of fruit and vegetable voucher interventions for pregnant women and families with young children |
| title_full | Systematic review of fruit and vegetable voucher interventions for pregnant women and families with young children |
| title_fullStr | Systematic review of fruit and vegetable voucher interventions for pregnant women and families with young children |
| title_full_unstemmed | Systematic review of fruit and vegetable voucher interventions for pregnant women and families with young children |
| title_short | Systematic review of fruit and vegetable voucher interventions for pregnant women and families with young children |
| title_sort | systematic review of fruit and vegetable voucher interventions for pregnant women and families with young children |
| topic | Fruit and vegetables Diet quality Children Voucher scheme |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1368980025100657/type/journal_article |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gracegrove systematicreviewoffruitandvegetablevoucherinterventionsforpregnantwomenandfamilieswithyoungchildren AT nidaziauddeen systematicreviewoffruitandvegetablevoucherinterventionsforpregnantwomenandfamilieswithyoungchildren AT marymalone systematicreviewoffruitandvegetablevoucherinterventionsforpregnantwomenandfamilieswithyoungchildren AT diannasmith systematicreviewoffruitandvegetablevoucherinterventionsforpregnantwomenandfamilieswithyoungchildren AT nisreenaalwan systematicreviewoffruitandvegetablevoucherinterventionsforpregnantwomenandfamilieswithyoungchildren |