Friday, July 18, 2025 7/18/2025

A multilevel community engaged intervention to build a sustainable and equitable food economy with food is medicine offerings in the Mississippi Delta to improve minority health and reduce disparities

Award Number: R01MD018208
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CENTER ON MINORITY HEALTH AND HEALTH DISPARITIES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/23/2022
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 05/31/2027

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

A multilevel community engaged intervention to build a sustainable and equitable food economy with food is medicine offerings in the Mississippi Delta to improve minority health and reduce disparities - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The goal of this project is to test whether a multi-level, community-engaged intervention to build a sustainable food economy with food-is-medicine programs in the Mississippi Delta can improve minority health and reduce health disparities. Our central hypothesis is that an intervention developed with active community engagement to increase local production and distribution of fruits and vegetables (FV), will increase FV consumption and decrease body mass index (BMI), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and health disparities among participating adults compared to control participants over a 12-month study period. Aim 1: To design a novel intervention that bolsters the local food economy and delivers food-is-medicine programming to a minority population within communities with persistent disadvantage. Using the principles and processes of community-engaged research, we will unite community partners and members of Bolivar, Washington, and Sunflower Counties in a local multi-sector Delta Food Policy Council (FPC). The FPC will design and implement a multi-level intervention to provide appropriate nutrition, focusing on locally grown FV, to build a sustainable food economy and improve health outcomes. Aim 2: To test whether the novel intervention reduces health disparities by improving outcomes related to obesity and diabetes among a rural minority population. We will work collaboratively with the FPC to implement and evaluate a multi-level, community-engaged, randomized controlled intervention targeting 300 adults (>25 y) with food insecurity, BMI >25, and HbA1c)>5.7-8.5%. Outcome measures are (*primary): Individual-level: increase F+V consumption*; decrease obesity (BMI)*, diabetes risk (HbA1c)*, and systolic blood pressure Community-level: increase production and distribution of FV; institute access to produce and decrease food insecurity; and decrease health care utilization Aim 3: Generate a replicable and scalable food economy model to reduce obesity and improve diabetes. The model will focus on adults living in areas with disadvantage and make sustainable food-is-medicine policy recommendations related to SNAP, Medicare/Medicaid and the Farm Bill to state and federal legislatures. Expected impact: Community-centered efforts that build vital local food economies to support food-is-medicine programming represent a major innovation that integrates nutrition into the healthcare system and social safety net to ameliorate disease, mitigate disparities, and save billions of dollars in health care expenditures annually.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $1,284,513 )
2024	2024	TRUSTEES OF TUFTS COLLEGE	136 HARRISON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02111	SUFFOLK	USA	Minority Health and Health Disparities Research	001	3	6/12/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$1,284,513
2024	2023	TRUSTEES OF TUFTS COLLEGE	136 HARRISON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02111	SUFFOLK	USA	Minority Health and Health Disparities Research	002	2	6/20/2024	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$0
2024	2023	TRUSTEES OF TUFTS COLLEGE	136 HARRISON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02111	SUFFOLK	USA	Minority Health and Health Disparities Research	000	2	10/26/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2024	2023	TRUSTEES OF TUFTS COLLEGE	136 HARRISON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02111	SUFFOLK	USA	Minority Health and Health Disparities Research	003	2	8/28/2024	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$0
														Subtotal = $1,284,513

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $1,605,744 )
2023	2023	TRUSTEES OF TUFTS COLLEGE	136 HARRISON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02111	SUFFOLK	USA	Minority Health and Health Disparities Research	004	2	7/10/2023	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$292,374
2023	2023	TRUSTEES OF TUFTS COLLEGE	136 HARRISON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02111	SUFFOLK	USA	Minority Health and Health Disparities Research	003	2	7/7/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$1,313,370
2023	2022	TRUSTEES OF TUFTS COLLEGE	136 HARRISON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02111	SUFFOLK	USA	Minority Health and Health Disparities Research	000	1	11/21/2022	NEW	$0
2023	2022	TRUSTEES OF TUFTS COLLEGE	136 HARRISON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02111	SUFFOLK	USA	Minority Health and Health Disparities Research	002	1	12/15/2022	NEW	$1,374,111
2023	2022	TRUSTEES OF TUFTS COLLEGE	136 HARRISON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02111	SUFFOLK	USA	Minority Health and Health Disparities Research	005	1	7/24/2023	NEW	$0
2023	2022	TRUSTEES OF TUFTS COLLEGE	136 HARRISON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02111	SUFFOLK	USA	Minority Health and Health Disparities Research	001	1	12/13/2022	NEW	-$1,374,111
														Subtotal = $1,605,744

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $1,374,111 )
2022	2022	TRUSTEES OF TUFTS COLLEGE	136 HARRISON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02111	SUFFOLK	USA	Minority Health and Health Disparities Research	000	1	9/23/2022	NEW	$1,374,111
														Subtotal = $1,374,111

Grand Total All Awards = $4,264,368

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

A multilevel community engaged intervention to build a sustainable and equitable food economy with food is medicine offerings in the Mississippi Delta to improve minority health and reduce disparities

Award Number: R01MD018208

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CENTER ON MINORITY HEALTH AND HEALTH DISPARITIES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/23/2022

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 05/31/2027

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer