Food insecurity is the lack of consistent access to the food needed for a healthy life. Food insecurity among families whose child has been hospitalized is a critical problem affecting a large, vulnerable population. The purpose of this study is to identity the most effective ways to help those families with food insecurity.
To address food insecurity among families who child has been hospitalized, study objectives are 1) to demonstrate the feasibility and acceptability of providing family meals and grocery store gift cards to address food insecurity among children discharged from the hospital, and 2) evaluate the potential impact of the interventions on household food insecurity, 30-day readmission rates, and primary care follow up. To accomplish these objectives, this pilot feasibility trial will be conducted at Atrium Health Levine Children's-Brenner Children's Hospital, an academic medical center that serves communities with high rates of food insecurity, in collaboration with our long-term partner Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina. The will recruit families whose child was admitted to the hospital and screened positive for food insecurity. All families will be enrolled for a total of 4 weeks to evaluate the difference in food insecurity, family health measures, and hospital-based quality metrics (including readmission rates and primary care follow up).
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
30
Participants will receive the intervention of weekly home meal delivery, consecutively for 4 weeks, delivered to their home. The meals will be provided by Providence Community Kitchen, which is a program of Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC. During the 4 weeks of meal provisions, participants will receive 7 family style frozen dinners delivered to the participant's home weekly. Meals are frozen, have minimal preparation time, and can be heated by oven.
Participants will receive weekly grocery store gift cards, consecutively for 4 weeks. During the 4 weeks of gift card provisions, participants will receive (1) $40.00 grocery store gift card weekly, mailed to participants' home address by study staff.
Brenner Children's Hospital
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
RECRUITINGNumber of Caregivers Asked to Take Part in Study
Number of caregivers of pediatric inpatients asked to take part in the study.
Time frame: Month 4
Number of Caregivers Consented
Number of caregivers of pediatric inpatients who consented to take part in the study.
Time frame: Month 4
Number of Meals Delivered
Number of meals delivered to participants in the Meal Delivery arm.
Time frame: Month 4
Number of Gift Cards Delivered
Number of gift cards delivered to participants in the Grocery Gift Card arm.
Time frame: Month 4
Number of Post-Intervention Surveys Completed
Number of caregivers who completed the post-intervention satisfaction surveys upon study completion.
Time frame: Month 4
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Participants will receive the current standard for care for families endorsing inpatient food insecurity during a hospitalization, which include provision of printed and electronic food access resources. Currently, all families with positive food insecurity screening are met by a community health worker in the hospital who reviews current food access status with families (including enrollment in federal nutrition programs) and provides them with printed and electronic resources of nearby food pantries and other food access resources available to them at time of discharge from the hospital.