Background: Data on large scale community-level interventions on fruit and vegetable consumption targeting minority communities are lacking. This study examined whether a multicommunity intervention decreased disparities in fruit and vegetable consumption.
Materials and methods: The Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) 2010 program was conducted among 16 black communities. Five-year trends (2001-2006) in self-reported fruit and vegetable consumption among the target population were compared with trends among white and black populations in 14 states where communities were located.
Results: The geometric mean of combined fruit and vegetable consumption in the REACH communities increased 7.4 % (P0.001) but did not change among white and black populations in comparison states (P0.05). Increased consumption in REACH communities was higher in the lower quintiles of consumptions. The disparity in fruits and vegetables consumption between comparison white population and blacks in REACH communities decreased by 33 %-from 0.66 to 0.44 times per day. The target population of 1.2 million people consumed fruits and vegetables about 21.9 million additional times per year as a result of the REACH program.
Conclusion: This large community-based participatory intervention successfully reduced isparities in fruit and vegetable consumption between comparison white population and 16 disadvantaged black communities.
Keywords: Blacks; Community intervention; Fruits; Health disparities; Vegetables.