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Publications

We are committed to evaluating our nutrition programs and sharing our findings with the broader academic community. Explore our peer-reviewed research below.

  • Dr. Amy Saxe-Custack presenting about the Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program at the American Society for Nutrition Conference in 2018.
  • Sarah Egan presenting about Flint Families Cook at the Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo in 2024.
  • Sarah Egan presenting about Flint Families Cook at Great Lakes Pediatric Research Day in 2023.
  • Katie Hacker presenting about the Prenatal Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program at Great Lakes Pediatric Research Day in 2023.
  • Anna Sampson presenting about the Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program at Great Lakes Pediatric Research Day in 2023.
  • The PPHI Nutrition Team at Great Lakes Pediatric Research Day in 2023.
  • Sarah Egan presenting about Flint Families Cook at the Healthy Flint Research Coordinating Center Research Symposium in 2022.
  • Sarah Egan presenting about the Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program at the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior Annual Conference in 2022.
Impacts of a Culinary Nutrition Education Program for Youth on Caregiver-Reported Home Food Environment and Household Food Security
Published in Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health in June 2026

Recent Publications

Healthcare provider perceptions of a pediatric fruit and vegetable prescription program: a qualitative study
Published in BMC Nutrition in April 2026
Influence of a pediatric fruit and vegetable prescription program in Flint Michigan on caregiver perceptions of pediatric health care
Published in Preventive Medicine Reports in February 2026

Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program Research

Saxe-Custack A, Farmer B, Egan S, Pulka K, Tayler B. Healthcare provider perceptions of a pediatric fruit and vegetable prescription program: a qualitative study. BMC Nutrition. 2026;12(91). DOI: doi.org/10.1186/s40795-026-01317-0

Saxe-Custack A, Haggerty D, Shipp G, LaChance J. Influence of a pediatric fruit and vegetable prescription program in Flint Michigan on caregiver perceptions of pediatric health care. Preventive Medicine Reports. 2026;64:103421. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2026.103421

Saxe-Custack A, LaChance J, Shipp G, Haggerty D. Influence of a Prenatal Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program on Diet and Household Food Security in a Low-Income, Urban Community. Maternal and Child Health. 2026;30: 153–161. DOI: doi.org/10.1007/s10995-025-04212-5

Saxe-Custack A, Todem D, LaChance J, Kerver J, Anthony J. Association between youth blood pressure and exposure to pediatric fruit and vegetable prescriptions. Pediatric Research. 2024;98:654–662. DOI: doi.org/10.1038/s41390-024-03671-w.

Saxe-Custack A, Egan S, Farmer B, Pulka K, Sampson A. Caregiver-reported barriers to engagement in a pediatric fresh fruit and vegetable prescription program. Journal of Nutritional Sciences. 2024;13:e33. DOI: doi.org/10.1017/jns.2024.33.

Saxe-Custack A, LaChance J, Kerver JM. A Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program for Prenatal Patients in Flint, Michigan: Baseline Food Security and Dietary Intake. Nutrients. 2024;16(8):1234. DOI: doi.org/10.3390/nu16081234

Sadler RC,Saxe-Custack A. ‘Nobody shops at the neighborhood store’: leveraging a community’s pediatric fresh produce prescription program to inform future participating store redemption locations.Cities & Health. 2023;8(1):70-81. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/23748834.2023.2281764

Saxe-Custack A, Todem D, Anthony J, Kerver J, LaChance J, Hanna-Attisha M. Effect of a pediatric fruit and vegetable prescription program on child dietary patterns, food security, and weight status: a study protocol. BMC Public Health. 2022;22(1):150. DOI: doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-12544-y

Saxe-Custack A, Lofton H, Dawson C, Egan S, Hanna-Attisha M. “The shelves are bare”: The impact of COVID-19 on families enrolled in a pediatric produce prescription program. Cureus. 2022;14(11):e31540. DOI: doi.org/10.7759/cureus.31540

Saxe-Custack A, LaChance J, Jess J, Hanna-Attisha M. Influence of a pediatric fruit and vegetable prescription program on child dietary patterns and food security. Nutrients. 2021; 13(8):2619. DOI: doi.org/10.3390/nu13082619.

Saxe-Custack A, Sadler R, LaChance J, Hanna-Attisha M, Ceja T. Participation in a fruit and vegetable prescription program for pediatric patients is positively associated with farmers’ market shopping. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020; 17(12): E4202. DOI: doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17124202

Saxe-Custack A, LaChance J, Hanna-Attisha M. Child consumption of whole fruit and fruit juice following six months of exposure to a pediatric fruit and vegetable prescription program. Nutrients. 2020; 12(1):25. DOI: doi.org/10.3390/nu12010025

Saxe-Custack A, LaChance J, Hanna-Attisha M, Ceja T. Fruit and vegetable prescriptions for pediatric patients living in Flint, Michigan: A cross-sectional study of food security and dietary patterns at baseline. Nutrients. 2019; 11(6):1423. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11061423

Saxe-Custack A, Hanna-Attisha M, Zvoch K. Fruit and vegetable prescriptions for pediatric patients in Flint, Michigan: Program development, methods, and baseline characteristics. Current Developments in Nutrition. 2019; 3(Suppl 1): NZZ051.FS02-05-19. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzz051.FS02-05-19

Saxe-Custack A, Lofton H, Hanna-Attisha M, Victor C, Reyes G, Ceja T, LaChance J. Caregiver perceptions of a fruit and vegetable prescription programme for low-income paediatric patients. Public Health Nutrition. 2018. 21(13):2497-2506. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980018000964

Flint Kids Cook Research

Saxe-Custack A, Haggerty D, Egan S. Impacts of a Culinary Nutrition Education Program for Youth on Caregiver-Reported Home Food Environment and Household Food Security. Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health. 2026. DOI: doi-org.proxy1.cl.msu.edu/10.1177/2753613026146149

Egan S, Saxe-Custack A. A qualitative exploration of family experiences with a virtual cooking and nutrition programme. Public Health Nutrition. 2026;29(1):e9. DOI: doi.org/10.1017/S1368980025101717

Saxe-Custack A, Egan S, Sadler R, Wojciechowski T. Relative impacts of a virtual cooking and nutrition program for children and families. Appetite. 2023;191: 107041. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2023.107041

Saxe-Custack A, Egan S. Flint Families Cook: A virtual cooking and nutrition program for families. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 2022;54:359-363. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2022.01.002

Saxe-Custack A, Goldsworthy M, Lofton HC, Hanna-Attisha M, Nweke O. Family perceptions of a cooking and nutrition program for low-income children and adolescents. Global Pediatric Health. 2021; DOI: doi.org/10.1177/2333794X21989525 

Saxe-Custack A,LaChance J, Hanna-Attisha M, Dawson C. Flint Kids Cook: Positive influence of a farmers’ market cooking and nutrition programme on health-related quality of life of US children in a low-income, urban community. Public Health Nutrition. 2020;24(6):1492-1500. DOI: doi.org/10.1017/S136898002000395X

Other Research

Saxe-Custack A, LaChance J, Hanna-Attisha M, Goldsworthy M, Ceja T. Household supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participation is associated with higher fruit and vegetable consumption. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 2021. 53(12):P1060-1065. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2021.06.017.

Saxe-Custack A, Lofton HC, Hanna-Attisha M, Tata Z, Ceja T, LaChance J. Caregiver experiences with an innovative farmers’ market incentive program for children in Flint, Michigan. Global Pediatric Health. 2019;6:2333794X19870989. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/2333794X19870989

Saxe-Custack A, Kerver JM, Mphwanthe G, Weatherspoon L. Participant experiences in a paraprofessional-led weight management program for children and families. Sage Open Medicine. 2019; 7:2050312119863920. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/2050312119863920

Saxe-Custack A, Weatherspoon L. A qualitative assessment of self-management priorities among persons with type 2 diabetes. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 2014; 46(4):S186. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2014.04.283