Peer-reviewed article
Factors associated with discontinued participation in a fruit and vegetable incentive program in Seattle, Washington (United States): The role of community-based organizations in engaging non-English speakers.
Chaparro MP, Jung JM, Wallace J, Jones-Smith J, Baquero B et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined why families stopped participating in Fresh Bucks, a program that gives vouchers to buy fruits and vegetables in Seattle. The researchers looked at over 12,000 families who joined between January and March 2020 and checked who was still participating by October 2021. They found that non-English speakers were much more likely to stop participating, but when community organizations helped them enroll, they were more likely to stay.
Key points
- 46% of all participants stopped using the program within two years; 53.3% of non-English speakers discontinued versus 37.6% of English speakers
- Community-based organization (CBO)-assisted enrollment reduced program discontinuation by 7.3 percentage points for non-English speakers compared to public enrollment
- Families with children, older participants (age ≥30), those with higher incomes, and food-secure families were more likely to continue participating
- Non-Hispanic Black participants had higher discontinuation rates compared to non-Hispanic White participants
- Language preference (Chinese or Spanish speakers) was associated with lower discontinuation when supported by appropriate enrollment pathways
Limitations
The study only examined one geographic location and program, so findings may not apply to other fruit and vegetable incentive programs or regions. The document does not explain why families discontinued or what barriers they faced after enrollment.
Abstract
Objective To identify factors associated with discontinued participation from Fresh Bucks - a fruit and vegetable (F&V) incentive program in Seattle, WA, USA - two years after initial enrollment, particularly among non-English speakers. Methods Administrative and survey data from first enrollment application (Jan-Mar 2020) and re-application (Jul-Oct 2021) were used to identify program discontinuation (n = 12,813). Linear probability models included age, race/ethnicity, preferred language, enrollment pathway (public vs. community-based organization [CBO]-assisted), F&V consumption (ResultsRates of program discontinuation were 46% (total), 37.6% (English speakers), and 53.3% (non-English speakers). In pooled analyses, age ≥ 30 years (vs. 18-29); having children; income-to-poverty ratio (IPR) = 100-200% or IPR > 200% (vs. IPR < 100%); being non-Hispanic Asian (vs. non-Hispanic White); speaking Chinese or Spanish (vs. English); and being food secure predicted lower probability of program discontinuation. Being non-Hispanic Black (vs. non-Hispanic White) predicted higher probability of program discontinuation. CBO-assisted enrollment (vs. public) predicted lower probability of discontinuation for non-English speakers (B = -7.3 percentage points, 95%CI = -10.5, -4.1). Conclusions Age, race/ethnicity, preferred language, income, and food security predicted program discontinuation. Community engagement was important for retaining non-English speakers, offering insights for improving retention in F&V incentive programs.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
- Intervention
- Community-based organization (CBO)-assisted enrollment pathway for non-English speakers in the Fresh Bucks program
- Population
- Non-English speaking families enrolled in Fresh Bucks program in Seattle, WA
Key finding
CBO-assisted enrollment predicted 7.3 percentage points lower probability of discontinuation for non-English speakers (95%CI = -10.5, -4.1)
MP et al. · Europe PMC · 14 Jul 2026