title: Farm-to-Consumer Retail Outlet Use, Fruit and Vegetable Intake, and Obesity Status among WIC Program Participants in Alabama.
abstract: We studied whether use of farm-to-consumer (FTC) retail outlets (eg, farmers market, farm/roadside stand) was associated with daily fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake or obesity status among women who participate in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) in Birmingham, AL.
  
  
  
  We used a cross-sectional study design and recruited a convenience sample of 312 women (mean age = 27.6; 67.0% non-Hispanic black; 45.6% obese) participating in Birmingham's WIC Program. Participants were recruited between October 2014 and January 2015. Participants who self-reported purchasing produce from a FTC outlet during the 2014 farmers' market season were classified as FTC outlet users. Multivariable-adjusted regression models were used to examine associations between FTC outlet use, daily F&V intake, and obesity status (ie, body mass index ≥ 30).
  
  
  
  Approximately 26.1% of participants were classified as FTC outlet users. After adjusting for socio-demographic factors and WIC Cash Value Voucher redemption, FTC outlet use was associated with increased odds of consuming ≥ 5 servings of F&Vs per day (OR: 2.01; 95%: 1.15 - 3.50), but not obesity status (OR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.39 - 1.20).
  
  
  
  FTC retail outlet use was associated with F&V intake among program participants but not obesity status.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Health Research and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA. csingle1@uic.edu.
authors.forename: Chelsea R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Singleton
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baskin
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
authors.forename: Emily B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Levitan
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Care Organization and Policy, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
authors.forename: Bisakha
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sen
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics and Finance, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, USA.
authors.forename: Ermanno
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Affuso
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
authors.forename: Olivia
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Affuso
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000407:Alabama; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D063105:Food Assistance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005523:Food Supply; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D014675:Vegetables