Screening for and Responding to Food Insecurity Among Infusion Patients

NCT ID: NCT05889780

Last Updated: 2024-12-09

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

45 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2024-01-08

Study Completion Date

2024-09-06

Brief Summary

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Food insecurity impacts 1 in 8 people in the United States and 1 in 4 people receiving cancer treatment. Food insecurity is associated with poor dietary quality, adverse health conditions (e.g., Type 2 diabetes, overweight and obesity, hypertension), and worse cancer treatment outcomes. To effectively address food insecurity among people with cancer, screening and effective response programs are needed.

The Food to Overcome Disparities (FOOD) program screens breast cancer patients for food insecurity and refers people who screen positive to 11 clinic pantries across New York City. In addition to clinic referrals, researchers have found the addition of monthly grocery vouchers or home grocery delivery to be even more effective at improving treatment completion rates than pantry access alone. Another innovative food security strategy, nutritious no-prep, ready-to-eat meals may also be helpful for patients given that no-prep meals reduce the time and physical demand of food preparation.

Nutritious no-prep, ready-to-eat meals have been positively associated with improvements in healthy eating index (HEI) scores, fewer instances of hypoglycemia, and improved quality of life among people with food insecurity that have diabetes, but has yet to be tested among patients with cancer. People receiving cancer treatment, such as infusion services, often report fatigue and other barriers to food preparation, which make no-prep, ready-to-eat meals another potential solution to cancer-specific challenges to healthy eating.

In the present study the investigators will test which evidence-based strategies are most effective and well-liked by patients and will inform the development of a comprehensive food security response program at the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Detailed Description

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In the proposed study, the study team will screen infusion patients for food insecurity and refer those who screen positive to enroll in a randomized controlled trial where participants will receive one of three evidence-based food security programs: 1) Pantry only - Referrals to onsite food pantry or emergency food boxes if the onsite pantry is not open by 2024, 2) Pantry plus nutritious no-prep, ready-to-eat meals, or 3) Pantry plus $75 grocery vouchers for three-months. The study team will assess improvements in patient food security, diet quality, satisfaction, and wellbeing over time. Results of this pilot will inform the design of a food security response program for patients.

Conditions

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Cancer Diet, Healthy Nutrition, Healthy

Keywords

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Food insecurity Food pantry Nutrition intervention

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

FACTORIAL

In the proposed study, infusion patients that screen positve for food insecurity that enroll in the study will be randomized to receive one of three evidence-based food security programs: 1) Pantry only - Referrals to an onsite food pantry or receipt of emergency food boxes if the onsite pantry is not open by 2024, 2) Pantry + nutritious no-prep, ready-to-eat meals, or 3) Pantry + $75 grocery vouchers for three-months.
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

It is not possible to mask staff or participants in this trial.

Study Groups

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Pantry only

Referrals to onsite food pantry or emergency food boxes from partner pantry if onsite pantry is not open by 2024.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Food pantry referrals

Intervention Type OTHER

Clients receive food for up to 21 meals per person in the household each month.

Nutritious, no-prep meals

Participants will receive up to 12 nutritious no-prep meals per month (three meals per week) for three-months.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Food pantry referrals

Intervention Type OTHER

Clients receive food for up to 21 meals per person in the household each month.

No-prep, ready-to-eat meals

Intervention Type OTHER

12 nutritious no-prep, ready-to-eat meals are provided each month.

Vouchers

Participants will receive $75 vouchers each month for three-months.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Food pantry referrals

Intervention Type OTHER

Clients receive food for up to 21 meals per person in the household each month.

Vouchers

Intervention Type OTHER

A $75 voucher is provided each month and participants are instructed to use the voucher to purchase food or transportation to food retailers.

Interventions

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Food pantry referrals

Clients receive food for up to 21 meals per person in the household each month.

Intervention Type OTHER

No-prep, ready-to-eat meals

12 nutritious no-prep, ready-to-eat meals are provided each month.

Intervention Type OTHER

Vouchers

A $75 voucher is provided each month and participants are instructed to use the voucher to purchase food or transportation to food retailers.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Patient at the Simmons cancer center
* Adults 18 years or older
* Ability to understand and willingness to provide informed consent
* Screens positive for food and/or nutrition insecurity
* No allergies or digestive diseases that could put participant at-risk of harm from consuming study foods (e.g., celiacs disease, dairy allergy, wheat allergy)

Exclusion Criteria

* Not a patient at the Simmons cancer center
* Under 18 years of age
* Unable to provide informed consent
* Not wanting to participate
* Does not screen positive for food and/or nutrition insecurity
* Allergies or digestive diseases that could put participants at-risk of harm from consuming study foods (e.g., celiacs disease, dairy allergy, wheat allergy).
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Kelseanna Hollis-Hansen

Assistant Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Kelseanna Hollis-Hansen, PhD, MPH

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

UT Southwestern Medical Center

Locations

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UT Southwestern Medical Center

Dallas, Texas, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

References

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Gany F, Melnic I, Wu M, Li Y, Finik J, Ramirez J, Blinder V, Kemeny M, Guevara E, Hwang C, Leng J. Food to Overcome Outcomes Disparities: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Food Insecurity Interventions to Improve Cancer Outcomes. J Clin Oncol. 2022 Nov 1;40(31):3603-3612. doi: 10.1200/JCO.21.02400. Epub 2022 Jun 16.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 35709430 (View on PubMed)

Berkowitz SA, Delahanty LM, Terranova J, Steiner B, Ruazol MP, Singh R, Shahid NN, Wexler DJ. Medically Tailored Meal Delivery for Diabetes Patients with Food Insecurity: a Randomized Cross-over Trial. J Gen Intern Med. 2019 Mar;34(3):396-404. doi: 10.1007/s11606-018-4716-z. Epub 2018 Nov 12.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 30421335 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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48557

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id