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Research and Evaluation

Measuring the impact of The Food Trust's work

RECENT NEWS

The Food Trust in Health Affairs

Health Affairs March 2010 issue "Child Obesity: The Way Forward" features "Policy Solutions to the 'Grocery Gap.'" The article explores The Food Trust’s five-step framework for increasing access to fresh, healthy food through supermarkets.

Learn more: Health Affairs: Policy Solutions to the "Grocery Gap"


The Food Trust’s Research & Evaluation team measures the impact of our organization’s direct programming, education and policy work.

We aim to share knowledge with and strengthen the work of other organizations, projects and individuals in order to achieve affordable nutritious food for all people. We integrate research initiatives into our program efforts in order to document success, build on lessons learned and create models for replication.

Recent findings

  • A comprehensive school nutrition policy developed by The Food Trust and implemented in elementary schools in Philadelphia included nutrition education, healthy food requirements, staff training, and family and community involvement. A study found that the effort reduced the incidence of childhood overweight in students by 50% over two years.

Learn more: Pediatrics: A Policy-Based School Intervention
to Prevent Overweight and Obesity (PDF)
 

  • Our research and mapping of gaps in food access in the state of Pennsylvania provided the groundwork for creation of the statewide Fresh Food Financing Initiative, a model program to encourage the development of food retail in underserved communities. Our methodology has been replicated in other states to document grocery gaps and highlight areas for change.

Learn more: Health Affairs: Policy Solutions to the "Grocery Gap"

  • The Food Trust also has an ongoing collaboration with Temple University’s Center for Obesity Research and Education in order to employ a rigorous study design to document the impact of our community education efforts in corner stores and schools. A baseline study found that students shopping at corner stores purchase an average of 356 calories per visit -- and many visit the corner store twice a day.

Learn more: Pediatrics: Snacking in Children: The Role
of Urban Corner Stores (PDF)

 

Noteworthy Publications

Karpyn A, Manon M, Treuhaft S, Giang T, Harries C, McCoubrey K. Policy solutions to the grocery gap. Health Affairs 2010; 29(3):473-80.

Borradaile K, Sherman S, Vander Veur S, McCoy T, Sandoval B, Nachmani J, Karpyn A, Foster G. Snacking in children: The role of urban corner stores. Pediatrics 2009; 124(5):1293-1298.

Gidding SS, Lichtenstein AH, Faith MS, Karpyn A, Mennella JA, Popkin B, Rowe J, Van Horn L, and Whitsel L. Implementing American Heart Association Pediatric and Adult Nutrition Guidelines: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association Nutrition Committee. Circulation 2009; 119:1161-1175.

Foster G, Sherman S, Borradaile K, Grundy K, Vander Veur S, Nachmani J, Karpyn A, Kumanyika S, Shults J. A policy-based school intervention to prevent overweight and obesity. Pediatrics 2008; 121(4):e794-e802.

Giang T, Karpyn A, Laurison H, Hillier A, Perry D. Pennsylvania’s Fresh Food Financing Initiative. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice 2008; 14(3):272-279.