Nutrition Education for Healthy Eating and Food Security

Recruiting at 1 trial location

Overseen By Heather Eicher-Miller

Age: Any Age

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Purdue University

Disqualifiers: Pregnancy, Lactation, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Approved in 1 Jurisdiction This treatment is already approved in other countries

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 4

300 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to determine how nutrition education can improve food security and healthy eating habits in families using SNAP benefits. The focus is on whether teaching adults about nutrition can lead to better food choices for children and increase household food security. Participants will either receive nutrition education through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) or join a control group that will receive the education after a year. Families in Indiana with children eligible for SNAP and who have not recently received similar education are well-suited for this study. As an unphased trial, this study offers families the chance to directly contribute to understanding how nutrition education can enhance food security and health.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that this nutrition education program is safe?

Research has shown that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) is safe for participants. For many years, SNAP-Ed has improved access to food and nutrition. Studies have found that SNAP-Ed programs successfully help more families obtain sufficient food. Although these studies focused on food access and diet, they did not identify any safety issues for participants. As an educational program rather than a medical treatment, SNAP-Ed poses minimal risk of negative effects. Participants typically gain knowledge without encountering safety problems. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) because it aims to tackle food insecurity and promote healthier eating habits through education, rather than just providing food assistance. Unlike typical food aid programs that primarily focus on supply, SNAP-Ed empowers individuals with knowledge and skills to make healthier food choices, potentially leading to long-term lifestyle changes. This educational approach is designed to be more sustainable, as it encourages self-reliance and informed decision-making regarding nutrition. By focusing on education, SNAP-Ed has the unique potential to break the cycle of poor nutrition and food insecurity, which standard assistance programs might not fully address.

What evidence suggests that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education is effective for improving child dietary quality and household food security?

Research has shown that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed), available to participants in this trial, helps improve food security. One study found that food security in households increased by 25% over a year when an adult participated in SNAP-Ed. Although SNAP-Ed hasn't consistently improved adults' diets, it may enhance children's diets as food security improves. SNAP-Ed uses consistent methods to measure its impact, aiding in tracking progress over time. Overall, SNAP-Ed is well-regarded for boosting food security among low-income families. ^{1 2 3 6 7}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Heather Eicher-Miller, PhD

Principal Investigator

Purdue University

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for low-income households in Indiana with children, where adults are willing to participate and wait a year for SNAP-Ed. Participants must speak English, be eligible for SNAP benefits, and allow a child aged 5-18 years to join the study. Pregnant or lactating individuals or those who've had SNAP-Ed lessons in the past year cannot participate.

Inclusion Criteria

Households with children

English speaking

I am willing to let my child, who is between 5-18 years old, participate.

Exclusion Criteria

I have not participated in SNAP-Ed lessons in the last year.

Not pregnant or lactating (due to inherent dietary changes)

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Recruitment

Recruitment of participants at a rate of 10 per week for 9 months across 4 regions

9 months

Monthly visits to each region

Intervention

Participants receive SNAP-Ed lessons over a 10-week period

10 weeks

4 lessons (in-person or group setting)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in dietary quality and food security

12 months

Monthly contact to update information

Delayed Intervention for Control Group

Control group receives SNAP-Ed lessons after the 1-year follow-up

10 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education

Trial Overview

The study tests if adult-focused nutrition education (SNAP-Education) can improve dietary quality in children and increase household food security. It involves tracking diet through surveys before, after a 10-week course, and one year later. The control group will receive the intervention after this period.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

This group will receive the core content of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education over the 10-week "intervention period".

Group II: Control Active Control 1 Intervention

This group will not receive the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education during the "intervention period" nor throughout the study (1 year).

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education is already approved in United States for the following indications:

Approved in United States as SNAP-Ed for:

• Improving household food security
• Enhancing dietary quality among SNAP-eligible households

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Purdue University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

239

Recruited

72,200+

Wake Forest University Health Sciences

Collaborator

Trials

1,432

Recruited

2,506,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

SNAP-Ed has been shown to be effective in improving food security among low-income populations, with evidence from four reports supporting its impact.

However, the evidence for SNAP-Ed's effectiveness in improving nutrition and dietary outcomes is less consistent, highlighting the need for more rigorous studies to better evaluate its impact in these areas.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effect of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) on food security and dietary outcomes. Rivera, RL., Maulding, MK., Eicher-Miller, HA.[2020]

A systematic review of 10 studies on food provision programs for patients with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes showed that those including nutrition education consistently reduced HbA1c levels, indicating improved diabetes management.

Programs varied widely in their design and implementation, but those that incorporated nutrition education—covering topics like general nutrition and fruit/vegetable consumption—tended to yield better dietary quality and health outcomes compared to those without such education.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A narrative review of clinic-community food provision interventions aimed at improving diabetes outcomes among food-insecure adults: examining the role of nutrition education. Schier, HE., Chetty, KS., Garrity, K., et al.[2023]

Out of six SNAP-Ed interventions aimed at promoting healthy eating in low-income children, only one successfully increased fruit and vegetable consumption by the targeted 0.3 cups per day, indicating that some interventions can be effective.

Three of the interventions showed a small but statistically significant increase in either fruit and vegetable consumption or the use of low-fat or fat-free milk, suggesting that with proper implementation and refinement, dietary habits can improve among low-income families.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Evaluating the Impact of Six Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education Interventions on Children's At-Home Diets. Williams, PA., Cates, SC., Blitstein, JL., et al.[2015]

A qualitative study involving 26 participants across eight California State University campuses highlighted the need for SNAP-Ed programs to be tailored specifically to address the unique food insecurity challenges faced by college students.

Key themes identified included the importance of aligning program content with students' needs, such as incorporating relevant cooking skills and recipes, which could enhance engagement and effectiveness of the intervention.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

SNAP-Ed Programming for College Students Experiencing Food Insecurity: A Qualitative Process-Focused Evaluation. Gray, VB., Grijalva-Martinez, E., Zuniga, C., et al.[2023]

A SNAP-Ed nutrition education intervention for 97 eligible women in Indiana showed no significant improvements in overall diet quality or nutrient intake after one year, except for an increase in vitamin D intake among participants.

The study highlights that while the intervention aimed to promote healthier eating aligned with dietary guidelines, it did not lead to substantial changes in dietary habits for most nutrients and food groups over the follow-up period.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Randomized Intervention of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education Did Not Improve Dietary Outcomes Except for Vitamin D Among Lower-Income Women in Indiana. Qin, Y., Rivera, RL., Zhang, Y., et al.[2023]

The Indiana SNAP-Ed program significantly improved food security scores among low-income households with children, with notable reductions in food insecurity observed one year after the intervention.

While adults in the intervention group showed improved food security, the program did not result in a significant change in food security scores for children compared to the control group.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

SNAP-Ed (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education) Increases Long-Term Food Security among Indiana Households with Children in a Randomized Controlled Study. Rivera, RL., Maulding, MK., Abbott, AR., et al.[2023]

Citations

1.

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7551191/

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education ...

Together, previous and current study results build evidence that SNAP-Ed is effective in directly improving food security over a one year period ...

2.

snaped.fns.usda.gov

snaped.fns.usda.gov/administration/evaluation-framework

SNAP-Ed Evaluation Framework and Interpretive Guide - USDA

The Evaluation Framework is SNAP-Ed's opportunity to produce cumulative results using standardized, evidence-informed methods to share with our clients.

3.

sciencedirect.com

sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1499404624000563

Thirty Years of SNAP-Ed: The Transition of the Nation's ...

This paper describes the 30-year evolution of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) to provide evidence to support our perspective.

4.

eatrightpro.org

eatrightpro.org/news-center/public-policy-news/snap-summary-of-science

SNAP: Summary of Science

A 2019 narrative review of 14 studies found that SNAP-Ed interventions statistically improved food security in the three studies that reported ...

5.

jn.nutrition.org

jn.nutrition.org/article/S0022-3166(23)00783-6/fulltext

SNAP-Ed (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ...

Household food security improved by 25% over the 1-y study period among Indiana households with children when a household adult received a SNAP-Ed intervention ...

6.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31077323/

Effect of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ...

This narrative review summarizes current investigations of SNAP-Ed's effectiveness at improving food security and dietary outcomes, and it can ...

7.

academic.oup.com

academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article/77/12/903/5488130

Effect of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ...

There was stronger evidence for SNAP-Ed as an effective means of improving food security (n = 4 reports) than for its effects on nutrition or ...