$2.8M to fight hypertension with fresh ‘produce prescription’

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Hawaiʻi residents with hypertension (high blood pressure) who struggle to afford healthy food will soon receive a powerful new prescription from their doctors: fresh, local produce. A new program will provide patients with $100 a month in vouchers to buy fruits, vegetables and poi at local farmers' markets and grocery stores.

This innovative "produce prescription" program is the centerpiece of a $2.8 million grant awarded to researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa's College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience (CTAHR). The study aims to create effective, culturally relevant health interventions by directly linking nutrition to healthcare for those facing both hypertension and food insecurity.

How it works

The program will be implemented at three community health centers: Waiʻanae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, Waimānalo Health Center, and Hamakua Kohala Health Center. It will train community health workers to help patients use the monthly vouchers, which are provided for 12 months.

For Monica Esquivel, an associate professor in CTAHR's Department of Human Nutrition, Food, and Animal Sciences, who is leading the project, this work is deeply personal. As a registered dietitian, she saw firsthand how her patients wanted to eat healthier but couldn't afford fresh food. She and other doctors felt frustrated because they didn't have the right tools to help their patients reach their health goals. This grant is the next step in creating those tools.

"If you don't have enough money to get food, then your stress is high, and then it's really hard to control your blood pressure," Esquivel said. This approach has been shown to improve people's diets and health, reduce food insecurity, and provide an economic boost to their community through increased produce sales.

The fruits and vegetables will be sourced from farmers' markets and food hubs in the state. In fact, Hawaiʻi's Medicaid health program was the first state in the nation to include a provision that local produce be a priority for these programs.

"This program helps close the gaps caused by food insecurity by making fresh, local produce more accessible. It supports our patients' health and strengthens our community," said Alicia Higa, executive director of ʻElepaio Social Services and chief community health officer at the Waiʻanae Coast Comprehensive Health Center.

Mary Oneha, CEO of Waimānalo Health Center, said, "Continuous access to locally grown fruits and vegetables is a challenge for many families. Efforts by Waimanalo Health Center to have locally grown fruits and vegetables readily available have filled a need for many families. We are thrilled to partner with the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience on a ʻproduce prescription' program to help people address high blood pressure."