Association between fruit and vegetable consumption and chronic diseases among food pantry users

Introduction: Fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption can be a protective factor for chronic diseases, but few studies have investigated the impact of FV on health in the context of food/nutrition assistance system. Methods: We used three health survey data collected in Upstate New York communities to construct a predictive model of food pantry use. The model was applied to a Northeastern US regional subset of SMART Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data to identify potential food pantry users. The associations between FV intake and diabetes, hypertension, and BMI were examined through multivariable logistic regression and linear regression analyses with food pantry use as a potential effect modifier. Results: The analysis dataset had 5,257 respondents, and 634 individuals were estimated as food pantry users. Consumption of vegetables was associated with decreased odds of hypertension and a lower BMI regardless of food pantry use. Consumption of fruits was associated with decreased odds of diabetes regardless of food pantry use. The association between fruit consumption and BMI was modified by food pantry use. Among food pantry users, consumption of fruits was associated with a greater BMI, while among food pantry non-users, it was associated with a lower BMI. Conclusion: The overall protective effects of increased FV consumption on chronic diseases suggest that increasing FV availability in food pantries may not only alleviate hunger but also improve health. Further research is needed to investigate the role of fruit including 100% fruit juice consumption and BMI among food pantry users. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Funding Statement This study was funded by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR; 557409). ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the University at Albany gave ethical approval for this work. This study was conducted according to the guidelines laid down in the Declaration of Helsinki. I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable. Yes The UMS, FAS1, MHDS data in the present study are available upon reasonable request to the authors. The SMART BRFSS2015 data is available online at: https://www.cdc.gov/brfss/smart/smart_2015.html