Research Experience
Current Project: Food is Medicine Produce Prescription Intervention
About the Delta GREENS Study
Study: 12-month randomized controlled trial of a community-engaged Food is Medicine (FIM) produce prescription intervention.
Setting: 300 patients recruited from six Delta Health Center clinics - federally qualified health centers - serving a rural, medically underserved population in the Mississippi Delta.
Primary Aim: Test whether a FIM intervention, providing ~$25 of fresh fruit and vegetables weekly, reduces diabetes risk (HbA1c levels). Secondary aims evaluate the impact on obesity, hypertension, and healthcare utilization.
Collaborators: Tougaloo College, Ruben V. Anderson Center for Justice, Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), and Delta Health Center Clinics
My Dissertation Contributions
Behavioral Mechanisms Sub-Study: I lead an NIH-funded Administrative Supplement investigating the behavioral mechanisms that underpin dietary behavior change among Delta GREENS intervention participants using a theory-informed mixed-methods approach.
Longitudinal Mixed-Methods Follow-Up: I integrate quantitative analysis with in-depth qualitative interviews collected across four time points to examine how the intervention shaped cognitive and behavioral determinants of healthy eating and whether those effects persist post-program. Additionally, participant awareness of and responsiveness to commercial food cues is examined at program completion and 3-month follow-up.
Modeling Dietary Behavior Dynamics: I use causal loop diagramming to explore the dynamic interplay between behavioral mechanisms, commercial determinants and food environment factors among participants post-program. The resulting model will provide a foundation for future simulation modeling to identify and prioritize environmental and behavioral leverage points that support sustained dietary behavior change and improved population health.
Conference Presentations
Rahman, M. S., Schultz, D. J., Boyles, R., Chui, K., Hennessy, E., John, S., Long, L., Miller, J. D., Nicholson, V., Pittas, A., Zhang, F. F., & Economos, C. D. (October 2025). Recruitment, adherence, and community engagement in a rural produce prescription program: Early insights from a randomized controlled trial in the Mississippi Delta. Paper presented at the Food is Medicine Institute Summit, Boston, MA.
Peer Reviewed Publications
Rahman, M. S., Wu, O. Y., Battaglia, K., Blackstone, N. T., Economos, C. D., & Mozaffarian, D. (2024). Integrating food is medicine and regenerative agriculture for planetary health. Frontiers in Nutrition, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2024.1508530