FreshStart for Health Study (FS4H)

September 8, 2026 updated by: Cornell University

FreshStart for Health: Produce Prescription to Promote Health Behaviors and Food Security.

The goal of this study is to test whether a produce prescription program (FS4H) influences health behaviors and food security. FS4H engages a total of 4 cohorts to receive fresh local produce and nutrition lessons.

Study Overview

Status

Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This project aims to evaluate the effectiveness and implementation of a produce prescription (PRx) program on health behaviors and food security. The PRx program being evaluated, known as FreshStart for Health (FS4H), offers participants nutrition education lessons and access to fresh local produce (fruits and vegetables) across multiple cohorts, each with varying durations (8, 12, 18, or 24 weeks). FS4H is administered by Buffalo Go Green, serving eligible Kaleida Health employees in Buffalo, New York.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

200

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • New York
      • Buffalo, New York, United States, 14209
        • Kaledia Health
      • Buffalo, New York, United States, 14211
        • Buffalo Go Green
      • Buffalo, New York, United States, 14215
        • Nutrition Education: Holistic Wellness & Agricultural Education Campus, Buffalo Go Green
      • Buffalo, New York, United States, 14222
        • Nutrition Education (Teaching Kitchen Live/Recorded): Buffalo State University, Caudell Hall

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 18-65 years.
  • Be enrolled in Kaleida's Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield health plan.
  • Having one of the following:
  • Prediabetes.
  • Diabetes.
  • Prehypertension.
  • Hypertension.
  • Obesity.
  • Food Insecurity.
  • Financial insecurity.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Not being enrolled in Kaleida's Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield health plan.
  • Having no chronic health condition.
  • Being food secure.
  • Having financial stability.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Sequential Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Weekly produce prescriptions for eight (8) weeks.
At random (using a random number generator), participants will be assigned to join a cohort to receive produce prescription for 8, 12, 18, or 24 weeks. Produce prescriptions can be picked up at a specified location or they can be delivered to participants' home. Participants assigned under this arm will receive produce prescriptions up to 8 weeks total.
Behavioral: Produce prescription
At random (using a random number generator), participants will be assigned to join a cohort to receive a weekly produce prescription for 8, 12, 18, or 24 weeks. Produce prescriptions can be picked up at a specified location or they can be delivered to participants' home.
Behavioral: Nutrition education
Participants will attend eight (8), one-hour nutrition education classes. Nutrition education classes will be held primary in-person although a virtual (Zoom) option will be made available if necessary. The classes will be recorded. Nutrition education classes range in topics from eating healthy on a budget to cooking and recipe demonstrations, which entail attending a lecture portion that is combined with hands-on activities during each session.
Experimental: Weekly produce prescriptions for twelve (12) weeks.
At random (using a random number generator), participants will be assigned to join a cohort to receive produce prescription for 8, 12, 18, or 24 weeks. Produce prescriptions can be picked up at a specified location or they can be delivered to participants' home. Participants assigned under this arm will receive produce prescriptions up to 12 weeks total.
Behavioral: Produce prescription
At random (using a random number generator), participants will be assigned to join a cohort to receive a weekly produce prescription for 8, 12, 18, or 24 weeks. Produce prescriptions can be picked up at a specified location or they can be delivered to participants' home.
Behavioral: Nutrition education
Participants will attend eight (8), one-hour nutrition education classes. Nutrition education classes will be held primary in-person although a virtual (Zoom) option will be made available if necessary. The classes will be recorded. Nutrition education classes range in topics from eating healthy on a budget to cooking and recipe demonstrations, which entail attending a lecture portion that is combined with hands-on activities during each session.
Experimental: Weekly produce prescriptions for eighteen (18) weeks.
At random (using a random number generator), participants will be assigned to join a cohort to receive produce prescription for 8, 12, 18, or 24 weeks. Produce prescriptions can be picked up at a specified location or they can be delivered to participants' home. Participants assigned under this arm will receive produce prescriptions up to 18 weeks total.
Behavioral: Produce prescription
At random (using a random number generator), participants will be assigned to join a cohort to receive a weekly produce prescription for 8, 12, 18, or 24 weeks. Produce prescriptions can be picked up at a specified location or they can be delivered to participants' home.
Behavioral: Nutrition education
Participants will attend eight (8), one-hour nutrition education classes. Nutrition education classes will be held primary in-person although a virtual (Zoom) option will be made available if necessary. The classes will be recorded. Nutrition education classes range in topics from eating healthy on a budget to cooking and recipe demonstrations, which entail attending a lecture portion that is combined with hands-on activities during each session.
Experimental: Weekly produce prescriptions for twenty-four (24) weeks.
At random (using a random number generator), participants will be assigned to join a cohort to receive produce prescription for 8, 12, 18, or 24 weeks. Produce prescriptions can be picked up at a specified location or they can be delivered to participants' home. Participants assigned under this arm will receive produce prescriptions up to 24 weeks total.
Behavioral: Produce prescription
At random (using a random number generator), participants will be assigned to join a cohort to receive a weekly produce prescription for 8, 12, 18, or 24 weeks. Produce prescriptions can be picked up at a specified location or they can be delivered to participants' home.
Behavioral: Nutrition education
Participants will attend eight (8), one-hour nutrition education classes. Nutrition education classes will be held primary in-person although a virtual (Zoom) option will be made available if necessary. The classes will be recorded. Nutrition education classes range in topics from eating healthy on a budget to cooking and recipe demonstrations, which entail attending a lecture portion that is combined with hands-on activities during each session.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Fruit and vegetable intake
Time Frame: Up to 24 weeks.
Participants will complete the short form of the Dietary Screener Questionnaire (10 items) at baseline and post-intervention.
Up to 24 weeks.
Food security
Time Frame: Up to 24 weeks.
Participants will complete the 6-item USDA Household Food Security Module to assess food security status at baseline and post-intervention.
Up to 24 weeks.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Physical and mental health outcomes
Time Frame: Up to 24 weeks.
Participants will complete a set of validated scales at baseline and after completion of nutrition education classes.
Up to 24 weeks.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Cornell University

Collaborators

Kaleida Health
Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Roger Figueroa, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Sc., Cornell University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

July 6, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 20, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 13, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 8, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

September 11, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

September 11, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 8, 2026

Last Verified

April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • IRB0149718

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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