Food to Overcome Outcomes Disparities: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Food Insecurity Interventions to Improve...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Public Health
• Nutrition Science

Background:

• Food insecurity is a significant issue for low-income, minority, and immigrant cancer patients.
• Addressing food insecurity is crucial for improving health outcomes in cancer care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prospectively evaluate the impact of food insecurity interventions on cancer outcomes.
• To identify evidence-based interventions for food-insecure cancer patients.

Main Methods:

• A three-arm randomized controlled trial involving 117 food-insecure cancer patients.
• Interventions included a food pantry, food vouchers plus pantry, and home grocery delivery plus pantry.
• Outcomes assessed: treatment completion, appointment attendance, food security, depression, and quality of life.

Main Results:

• The voucher plus pantry group achieved the highest treatment completion rate (94.6%).
• All interventions led to significant improvements in food security.
• Significant improvements in depression and quality of life were observed in the pantry and delivery plus pantry arms.

Conclusions:

• The voucher plus pantry intervention is a promising strategy for improving treatment completion in food-insecure cancer patients.
• All tested interventions show potential to enhance food security, quality of life, and nutrition status.
• Routine screening for food insecurity and provision of evidence-based interventions are recommended for all cancer patients.