BackgroundFruit and vegetable consumption reduces chronic disease risk, yet the majority of Americans consume fewer than recommended. Inadequate access to fruits and vegetables is increasingly recognized as a significant contributor to low consumption of healthy foods. Emerging evidence shows the effectiveness of community gardens in increasing access to, and consumption of, fruits and vegetables.MethodsTwo complementary studies explored the association of community garden participation and fruit and vegetable consumption in rural communities in Missouri. The first was with a convenience sample of participants in a rural community garden intervention who completed self-administered surveys. The second was a population-based survey conducted with a random sample of 1,000 residents in the intervention catchment area.ResultsParticipation in a community garden was associated with higher fruit and vegetable consumption. The first study found that individuals who worked in a community garden at least once a week were more likely to report eating fruits and vegetables because of their community garden work (X2 (125) = 7.78, p = .0088). Population-based survey results show that 5% of rural residents reported participating in a community garden. Those who reported community garden participation were more likely to report eating fruits 2 or more times per day and vegetables 3 or more times per day than those who did not report community garden participation, even after adjusting for covariates (Odds Ratio [OR] = 2.76, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 1.35 to 5.65).ConclusionThese complementary studies provide evidence that community gardens are a promising strategy for promoting fruit and vegetable consumption in rural communities.

BackgroundRural residents are less likely than urban and suburban residents to meet recommendations for nutrition and physical activity. Interventions at the environmental and policy level create environments that support healthy eating and physical activity.Community ContextHealthier Missouri Communities (Healthier MO) is a community-based research project conducted by the Prevention Research Center in St. Louis with community partners from 12 counties in rural southeast Missouri. We created a regional partnership to leverage resources and enhance environmental and policy interventions to improve nutrition and physical activity in rural southeast Missouri.MethodsPartners were engaged in a participatory action planning process that included prioritizing, implementing, and evaluating promising evidence-based interventions to promote nutrition and physical activity. Group interviews were conducted with Healthier MO community partners post intervention to evaluate resource sharing and sustainability efforts of the regional partnership.OutcomeCommunity partners identified the benefits and challenges of resource sharing within the regional partnership as well as the opportunities and threats to long-term partnership sustainability. The partners noted that the regional participatory process was difficult, but the benefits outweighed the challenges.InterpretationRegional rural partnerships may be an effective way to leverage relationships to increase the capacity of rural communities to implement environmental and policy interventions to promote nutrition and physical activity.

BackgroundThe Contraceptive CHOICE Project developed a patient-centered model for contraceptive provision including: (1) structured, evidence-based counseling; (2) staff and health care provider education; and (3) removal of barriers such as cost and multiple appointments to initiate contraception. In preparation for conducting a research study of the CHOICE model in three community health settings, we sought to identify potential barriers and facilitators to implementation.MethodsUsing a semi-structured interview guide guided by a framework of implementation research, we conducted 31 qualitative interviews with female patients, staff, and health care providers assessing attitudes, beliefs, and barriers to receiving contraception. We also asked about current contraceptive provision and explored organizational practices relevant to implementing the CHOICE model. We used a grounded theory approach to identify major themes.ResultsMany participants felt that current contraceptive provision could be improved by the CHOICE model. Potential facilitators included agreement about the necessity for improved contraceptive knowledge among patients and staff; importance of patient-centered contraceptive counseling; and benefits to same-day insertion of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC). Potential barriers included misconceptions about contraception held by staff and providers; resistance to new practices; costs associated with LARC; and scheduling challenges required for same-day insertion of LARC.ConclusionsIn addition to staff and provider training, implementing a patient-centered model of contraceptive provision needs to be supplemented by strategies to manage patient and system-level barriers. Community health center staff, providers, and patients support patient-centered contraceptive counseling to improve contraception provision if organizations can address these barriers.

Active dissemination of environmental and policy interventions by engaging school administrators and teachers in planning and implementation shows potential for increasing physical activity in rural school settings.

Regardless of medical advancements, new HIV infections persist. Young adults are most often newly infected, thus research is needed to assess medication adherence barriers specific to young adults with HIV. The data were abstracted from medical charts to include both self-reported behavioral and psychological distress data and HIV parameters in 2013 among patients aged 18-30 years. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors related to viral suppression and sexually transmitted infection (STI) status. A total of 335 individuals presented for care during a 12-month period at a single clinic. The majority were African American and had a mean age of 25.6 years. Nearly all had current prescriptions of antiretroviral therapy (ART). Among those receiving ART, almost three-quarters were virally suppressed, as measured by 200 copies/mL. STI tests are conducted annually and by assessed need; 30% of this sample had at least 1 bacterial STI diagnosis within the last year. Psychological distress symptoms were more common among individuals who were not virally suppressed, compared to those who were virally suppressed. Women and individuals with moderate to severe symptoms of depression had higher odds of having unsuppressed viral loads. The independent factors associated with having any STIs were being African American or other minorities and having two or more sex partners. Our findings related to how young adults are managing their HIV care suggest that increased efforts aimed to prevent additional STIs and manage psychological distress will likely reduce transmission risks.