Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39775914›Full record

ArticleHealth services research2025

Food as medicine, community as medicine: Mental health effects of a social care intervention.

Ariana Thompson-Lastad, Dorothy T Chiu, Denise Ruvalcaba, Wei-Ting Chen, June Tester, Lan Xiao, Benjamin O Emmert-Aronson, Steven Chen, Lisa G Rosas

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Health services research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Food Is Medicine: Prioritizing Equitable Implementation.American journal of public health · 2025
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Ariana Thompson-LastadOsher Center for Integrative Health, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4880-1371
Dorothy T ChiuOsher Center for Integrative Health, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
Denise RuvalcabaOsher Center for Integrative Health, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
Wei-Ting ChenDepartment of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA.
June TesterDepartment of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
Lan XiaoDepartment of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA.
Benjamin O Emmert-AronsonOpen Source Wellness, El Cerrito, California, USA.
Steven ChenAlameda County Health, San Leandro, California, USA.
Lisa G RosasDepartment of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA.

Funding

Stanford Center for Clinical & Translational Education and Research (Spectrum)UL1TR003142 · NCATS · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI O'HARA, RUTH M · 2019 to 2023
$45.0M
Produce Prescriptions and Group Medical Visits: Addressing Food Insecurity and Social Isolation in Primary CareK01MD015766 · NIMHD · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI Ariana Lauren Thompson-Lastad · 2022 to 2026
$687k
National Institute of Food and Agriculture 1021597National Institute of Food and Agriculture 1027419National Institute of Food and Agriculture 1029334NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR003142NCATS NIH HHS UL1TR003142NIMHD NIH HHS K01 MD015766NIMHD NIH HHS K01MD015766Office of Research on Women's Health K12HD0521630Stanford Impact Labs
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo assess mental health related outcomes of Recipe4Health, a multisectoral social care partnership implementing produce prescriptions with or without group medical visits (GMVs). STUDY SETTING AND

designRecipe4Health was implemented at five community health centers from 2020 to 2023. Primary care teams referred patients with food insecurity and/or nutrition-sensitive chronic conditions (e.g., diabetes, depression) to 16 weeks of Food Farmacy (produce prescriptions) with the option of GMV participation. We used a convergent mixed-methods design including survey and interview data. DATA SOURCES AND ANALYTIC SAMPLE: We conducted (1) participant surveys pre- and post-intervention and (2) semi-structured interviews with Recipe4Health participants and partner organization staff. Linear mixed effects models examined changes in mental health and related outcomes. Interviews were analyzed using codebook thematic analysis. PRINCIPAL

findingsProgram participants were middle-aged, primarily women, and from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds (majority Latine and Black). At baseline, moderate or severe depression and/or anxiety symptoms were reported by 77/188 (41%) of Food Farmacy-only participants, and 113/284 (40%) of Food Farmacy +GMV participants. Among Food Farmacy-only participants, post-intervention depression and anxiety symptoms significantly improved only among those who did not have baseline depression/anxiety (PHQ9: -1.7 [95% CI: -2.8, -0.6]; GAD7: -1.8 [95% CI: -2.9, -0.8]). Among Food Farmacy +GMV participants, mental health symptoms improved regardless of baseline mental health; among those with baseline depression/anxiety: PHQ9: -2.4 (95% CI: -3.6, -1.2); GAD7: -0.9 (95% CI: -2.0, 0.1); among those without: PHQ9: -2.2 (95% CI: -3.2, -1.2); GAD7: -2.2 (95% CI: -3.1, -1.2). Improvements in social needs (food insecurity, loneliness) and health-related behaviors (fruit/vegetable intake, physical activity) varied by intervention arm and baseline depression/anxiety symptom level. In interviews, staff and patients endorsed produce prescriptions for improving nutrition and food insecurity, and GMVs for increasing social support.

conclusionSocial care interventions providing vegetables and fruit, with or without group medical visits, may concurrently address mental health symptoms and social needs.

Indexed as

Mental HealthSocial WorkAdultChronic DiseaseDepressionFemaleFood InsecurityHumansMaleMiddle AgedPrimary Health Careanxietydepressionfood insecuritygroup medical visitsloneliness/social isolationproduce prescriptionssocial needs

Identifiers

PMID39775914
PMCPMC12052511

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.