"It Can Be Confusing": Family Perspectives on Food Insecurity Screening in Urban Pediatric Primary Care Clinics

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Primary Care
• Public Health
• Sociology of Health

Background:

• Food insecurity significantly impacts child health and development.
• Routine screening for food insecurity is common in pediatric primary care settings.
• Understanding patient experiences is crucial for optimizing screening protocols.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the lived experiences of low-income families undergoing food insecurity screening.
• To identify barriers and facilitators to the acceptability of food insecurity screening.
• To inform improvements in pediatric primary care screening practices.

Main Methods:

• Conducted 43 semi-structured interviews in English and Spanish with families with public insurance.
• Utilized immersion-crystallization analysis to identify key themes from qualitative data.
• Focused on families after well-child visits with documented food insecurity screening.

Main Results:

• Families reported initial discomfort with the screening process.
• Screening was perceived as acceptable when universal and conducted privately.
• Confusion existed regarding the use of screening data and expectations for immediate resource availability.

Conclusions:

• Explanations of data usage, opt-out options, and soliciting referral preferences can enhance screening.
• Promptly available resources are critical for families identified as food insecure.
• Improving communication and resource linkage is essential for effective pediatric food insecurity screening.