Fruit and Vegetable Consumption, Household Food Insecurity, and SNAP Participation Among Attendees of Free Produce Events at Safety‐Net Health Center Sites

Background/Objectives: Safety-net health centers are increasingly screening for food insecurity and providing patients with referrals to public assistance programs—e.g., Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). However, not all individuals ac-tively participate or are eligible for these programs. Onsite distributions of free produce at health center sites represent a promising alternative/complementary option for ad-dressing this need. This study examines free produce events at these sites and their associations with attendees’ food and vegetable consumption, household food insecurity, and SNAP participation (study outcomes). Methods: In 2024, an intercept survey was conducted with 497 adults attending produce events at 16 safety-net health center sites in Los Angeles County, California, USA. Descriptive analyses profiled these food events, gathering information on attendee characteristics. Multivariable regressions examined associations between event attendance and study outcomes. Results: Over 80% of attendees lived in food insecure households. Among those who were patients of the event site, 68% and 28%, respectively, indicated they received information about Medicaid and SNAP from the clinic staff. Compared to first-time attendees, those who attended produce events frequently consumed, on average, one additional serving of fruit and vegetable at day (p < 0.000). Conclusions: Offering free produce events at health center sites, where many attendees receive usual care, is a promising strategy for increasing healthy food access among safety-net populations. This underutilized approach is a viable intervention for addressing hunger and food insecurity, especially in circumstances where patients are not eligible for public assistance or nutrition incentive/produce pharmacy programs are not readily available.