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.
caregiver and legal guardian of a pediatric patient hospitalized in the acute care units of Brenner Children's Hospital, who have screened positive for food insecurity during the hospitalization.
lives in the same household as the pediatric patient hospitalized
lives in Forsyth County, North Carolina
has a freezer and oven in the household
subjects who do not have the capacity to give legally effective consent
planning to leave Forsyth County, North Carolina within 6 months of enrollment date
Parallel
Prepared Meals
Other interventionParticipants 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.
Grocery Gift Cards
Other interventionParticipants 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.
Standard of Care
Other interventionParticipants 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.
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Treatment groupsSee each treatment group below.
Number of Caregivers Asked to Take Part in Study
Number of caregivers of pediatric inpatients asked to take part in the study.
Number of Caregivers Consented
Number of caregivers of pediatric inpatients who consented to take part in the study.
Number of Meals Delivered
Number of meals delivered to participants in the Meal Delivery arm.
Number of Gift Cards Delivered
Number of gift cards delivered to participants in the Grocery Gift Card arm.
Rate of Readmission
Number of caregivers with a child readmitted within 30 days after hospital discharge
Rate of Primary Care Follow Up
Number of caregivers with a child who received primary care follow up after hospital discharge
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