Table 5 Nutritional and health outcomes associated with fruit and vegetable subsidy programs

Dietary intake

Net % consuming more fruit

Mean

V

A

C

Apples

2.2

−13.2

−2.7

Oranges

−2.2

−21.1

−11.8

Bananas

−17.4

−7.9

−29.7

Fruit juice

34.8*

−7.9

−24.3

*Voucher group net % significantly greater than advice or control (p<0.05)

Biomarkers

Mean (SD)

β-carotene change, ng/ml

V

A

C

p

n=39

n=37

n=42

35.6(77.2)

−20.2(43.3)

<0.0001

2.7(65.5)

−20.2(43.3)

0.435

Dietary intake

Mean

SM

FM

C

p

F&V intake,

serves/4186kJ/day

End of intervention

4.1

3.9

3.0

F=9.75, p<0.001

6 mths post-intervention

4.0

4.0

3.1

F=6.66, p=0.001

Vegetable intake, serves/4186kJ/day

End of intervention

2.3

2.1

1.5

F=11.0, p<0.001

6 mths post-intervention Data not shown F=−0.59, p=0.02

Fruit intake

Data not shown, no significant differences between SM, FM and control

Dietary intake

Anthropometric and cardiovascular outcomes

Change in intake at six months

Change at six months

Mean (SD)

I

C

p

Mean (SD)

I

C

p

Energy, kcal/day

−456 (1032)

−636 (1326)

0.48

Weight, kg

−2.0 (3.2)

1.1 (2.0)

<0.001

Fiber, g/day

1.7 (5.7)

−4.3 (19.7)

0.03

Fruit, serves/day

1.0 (1.7)

0 (1.2)

0.02

Veg, serves/day

0.9 (1.2)

−0.2 (1.8)

0.002

BMI, kg/m [2]

−0.7 (1.2)

0.4 (0.8)

0.001

Waist size, cm

−0.5 (5.3)

1.9 (3.7)

0.12

Syst BP, mmHg

−2.3 (13.0)

−1.4 (12.3)

0.14

Dias BP, mmHg

0.8 (8.1)

0.1 (9.3)

0.68

Self-rated health

General health and quality of life were rated across multiple domains. Trends generally favoured intervention group, but only self-esteem (p=0.03) and emotional role (p=0.04) improved significantly