Translating data into impact: baseline insights from a 21-site food as medicine program

Abstract

Chronic diseases account for the majority of deaths and healthcare expenditures in the United States. Many of these conditions are preventable or can be managed through lifestyle modifications such as healthy eating and physical activity. Due to the strong relationship between diet and chronic disease, food-based healthcare interventions, commonly referred to as Food is Medicine programs, have gained increasing attention as strategies for prevention and disease management. Literature suggests that these interventions can improve dietary behaviors and health outcomes, including increased fruit and vegetable consumption and improvements in biometric markers such as hemoglobin A1c and blood pressure. The purpose of this integrated learning experience was to analyze baseline survey data from a national Food is Medicine program and translate the findings into site-specific program summaries for participating food banks. The project aimed to support data transparency and strengthen reciprocal relationships between evaluators and community-based organizations. Activities included the development of a process map to guide project planning, descriptive statistical analysis of over 3,000 baseline surveys using statistical software, the creation of twenty tailored program one-pagers, and collaboration with multi-sector stakeholders through my role as a Research Associate at the Center for Nutrition & Health Impact. Baseline findings indicated high levels of food insecurity and chronic disease among participants, along with limited fruit and vegetable consumption and significant healthcare utilization. These results reinforce existing evidence linking food insecurity, dietary patterns, and chronic disease. In addition to contributing to the evaluation of a national Food is Medicine initiative, this project provided insights into the role of health communication, cross-sector collaboration, and data transparency in public health program evaluation. Findings highlight the importance of reciprocal evaluation practices that return actionable data to community-based organizations implementing Food is Medicine programs.