Grocery Gift Cards for Low-Income Families

(GROCERY Trial)

Age: Any Age

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati

Disqualifiers: Previous study participation

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

400 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

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 data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Grocery gift card for low-income families?

Research shows that programs providing food vouchers or gift cards to low-income families can improve health outcomes by reducing hospital readmissions and increasing access to healthy foods, which can lead to healthier diets. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is it safe for humans to receive grocery gift cards as a treatment?

The study involving low-income women who received vouchers for fresh fruits and vegetables showed no safety concerns, as participants successfully used the vouchers to purchase a variety of healthy foods without any reported issues. ^{6 7 8 9 10}

How does the grocery gift card treatment differ from other treatments for food insecurity?

The grocery gift card treatment is unique because it directly provides low-income families with the means to purchase groceries, offering immediate financial relief and access to food, unlike other programs that may focus on education or indirect support. ^{1 11 12 13 14}

What is the purpose of this trial?

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if an intervention to provide food support to families who are part of a Medicaid Accountable Care Organization will provide benefits. The main question it aims to answer: Does this monthly food support intervention reduce food insecurity and healthcare utilization in these patients. Participants will complete surveys in the hospital, 14-days after discharge, and then quarterly for up to 18 months. Families randomized to the intervention group will receive monthly grocery gift cards for one year.

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for low-income families with children who are part of a Medicaid Accountable Care Organization. It's designed to see if giving them monthly grocery gift cards can help reduce food insecurity and the need for healthcare services.

Inclusion Criteria

I am a parent of a child admitted to the specified hospital units and we have HealthVine insurance.

Exclusion Criteria

Previous study participation

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Families randomized to the intervention group receive monthly $100 grocery gift cards for 12 months

12 months

Monthly visits (virtual or in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for food insecurity, healthcare utilization, and other outcomes through surveys

18 months

Quarterly surveys (virtual)

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Grocery gift card

Trial Overview The study tests whether providing monthly grocery gift cards to these families makes a difference in their well-being. Families will be randomly chosen to either receive this benefit or not, and they'll answer surveys about their situation over an 18-month period.

Participant Groups

Group I: Intervention Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Monthly $100 grocery gift cards for 12 months

Group II: Standard of Care Active Control 1 Intervention

Can receive in-hospital social work referral if determined appropriate by clinical care team (also true for intervention group)

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati

Lead Sponsor

Trials

844

Recruited

6,566,000+

Findings from Research

A study involving 50 participants with food insecurity showed that using a prefilled, nutritionally balanced online grocery shopping cart led to significantly healthier purchases compared to just reviewing nutrition information.

Participants using the default shopping cart bought more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, while also selecting foods lower in sodium, cholesterol, and unhealthy fats, indicating that this approach can effectively promote better nutrition in financially constrained individuals.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Nudging while online grocery shopping: A randomized feasibility trial to enhance nutrition in individuals with food insecurity. Coffino, JA., Udo, T., Hormes, JM.[2021]

References

1. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Experiences and perceived outcomes of a grocery gift card programme for households at risk of food insecurity. [2023]

2. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A randomized study of food pantry environment-level change following the SuperShelf intervention. [2023]

3. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

B'More Healthy: Retail Rewards--design of a multi-level communications and pricing intervention to improve the food environment in Baltimore City. [2022]

4. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Link between redemption of a medical food pantry voucher and reduced hospital readmissions. [2021]

5. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

"The coupons and stuff just made it possible": economic constraints and patient experiences of a produce prescription program. [2022]

6. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Choices made by low-income women provided with an economic supplement for fresh fruit and vegetable purchase. [2007]

7. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Assessing the effect of adverse economic events on severity of hunger among food pantry clients. [2023]

8. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Nudging while online grocery shopping: A randomized feasibility trial to enhance nutrition in individuals with food insecurity. [2021]

9. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Evaluation of the first U.S. staple foods ordinance: impact on nutritional quality of food store offerings, customer purchases and home food environments. [2021]

10. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Inclusion of Food Safety Information in Home-delivered U.K. Meal-kit Recipes. [2023]

11. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Changing Safety Net for Low-Income Parents and Their Children: Structural or Cyclical Changes in Income Support Policy? [2018]

12. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

EBT Payment for Online Grocery Orders: a Mixed-Methods Study to Understand Its Uptake among SNAP Recipients and the Barriers to and Motivators for Its Use. [2019]

13. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Innovative Partnerships to Address Food Insecurity during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Brighter Bites Produce Voucher Program. [2021]

14. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Food Skills Education and Low-Income Adults' Healthy Food Choices. [2022]