Text Messages for Food Insecurity

(NO MORE FI Trial)

Overseen By Justine Stassun, MS

Age: Any Age

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Disqualifiers: Non-English/Spanish, Repeat admission

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 2

500 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to determine if sending text messages, known as "Text Connect," helps families of recently hospitalized children access food resources more effectively than a paper handout. The study will compare two groups: one receiving traditional paper resources and the other receiving additional text messages with food assistance information. Researchers believe text messages will facilitate easier connections to food resources and enhance food security. This trial suits caregivers of hospitalized children who struggle with food access, as identified in their medical records. As an unphased trial, it offers caregivers a unique opportunity to explore innovative methods to improve food access for their families.

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 text-message-based intervention is safe for providing food resource information?

Research shows that the Text Connect program, which sends text messages with information about food resources, is generally safe. Previous studies have focused on its effectiveness rather than safety issues. No negative effects have been reported from using text messages in this manner. The program primarily involves sending information through texts, a common and well-accepted communication method. Since this is not a trial phase, the main goal is to assess the program's effectiveness and reach, rather than address safety concerns. Overall, using text messages to share food resource information is considered low-risk. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the "Text Connect" intervention because it offers a modern twist to addressing food insecurity. While traditional methods typically rely on paper handouts or in-person meetings to provide food resource information, "Text Connect" uses timely text messages to deliver this information directly to caregivers' phones shortly after hospital discharge. This tech-forward approach not only ensures that caregivers have easy access to resources but also aims to provide support when they might need it most, potentially increasing engagement and improving outcomes for families facing food insecurity.

What evidence suggests that the Text Connect intervention is effective for improving food security?

Research has shown mixed results for using text messages to address food insecurity. One study found that sending nutrition tips via text to people in the SNAP program led to positive changes, such as increased fruit and vegetable consumption. However, other studies have indicated that text messages alone were not always effective in increasing engagement or improving outcomes. In this trial, participants in the intervention arm will receive 'Text Connect' messages, which may improve household food security by providing timely and easy-to-access food resource information. This approach aims to be more engaging than the traditional paper handouts given to the control group. ^{2 3 5 6 7}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for families of recently hospitalized children who are facing difficulties with food availability. It's designed to see if text messages can help them more than the usual paper handouts given when leaving the hospital.

Inclusion Criteria

Must be a caregiver of a child admitted to the hospital

My child's health records show they are at risk of not having enough food.

Exclusion Criteria

Repeat admission during the study period

My primary language is neither English nor Spanish.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

Intervention

Caregivers receive the 'Text Connect' message with food resource information one day and four days after discharge, in addition to usual care information.

4 days

2 virtual interactions (text messages)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for engagement, reach, and effectiveness of the intervention, as well as food security, nutrition security, stigma, and trust in the healthcare system.

30 days

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Text Connect

Trial Overview 'Text Connect' is being tested against standard paper handouts to determine if it's a better way to inform families about food resources. The study aims to see if texts improve engagement and household food security more effectively.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Usual Food Resources PLUS Text Connect Intervention Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Caregivers included in the intervention arm receive a 'Text Connect' message with food resource information one day and four days after discharge in addition to the usual care information received by the control group

Group II: Usual Food Resources Control Active Control 1 Intervention

Caregivers included in the usual care group receive a paper food resource handout as part of their discharge paperwork. This paper is given to the family and reviewed by the nurse completing their discharge. Families may also meet with a resource navigator during admission if they indicate a desire to talk with someone about food resources during their hospitalization. Finally, all caregivers with FI identified during screening are eligible to receive a food box or frozen meal at the time of discharge from the hospital.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Lead Sponsor

Trials

922

Recruited

939,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

Text4baby is a pioneering free text messaging service in the U.S. designed to provide essential health information to pregnant women and new mothers, successfully enrolling over 320,000 participants from its launch in 2010 to March 2012.

The rapid enrollment and widespread promotion of Text4baby highlight the effectiveness of public-private partnerships in improving maternal and infant health through accessible communication.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Text4baby: development and implementation of a national text messaging health information service. Whittaker, R., Matoff-Stepp, S., Meehan, J., et al.[2021]

A scoping review of 39 studies on digital tools in food assistance programs revealed that most tools are still in early development, with websites being the most common type (56.4%) and a significant focus on features like online shopping.

There is a critical need for more user-centered design and research on the effectiveness of these digital tools, especially in enhancing access to food assistance during situations like pandemics, where remote support is essential.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Moving Food Assistance into the Digital Age: A Scoping Review. Martin, NM., Barnett, DJ., Poirier, L., et al.[2022]

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12578432/

Effectiveness of Text Message Outreach to Promote ... Findings from a pilot randomized trial of 916 households indicated that outreach text messages were not an effective strategy to increase ...

2. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-food-insecurity-2-2025-682a4

Text Messages for Food Insecurity (NO MORE FI Trial) Research shows that sending text messages with nutrition information to SNAP participants led to positive changes, like increased fruit and vegetable intake and ...

3. formative.jmir.org formative.jmir.org/2025/1/e78907

Effectiveness of Text Message Outreach to Promote ... Findings from a randomized controlled trial of 1093 households indicated the outreach text messages were not an effective strategy to ...

4. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10410380/

Effectiveness of a text-messaging intervention on intuitive ... The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a 5-week text message-based IE intervention on IE, while correcting for perceived stress (PS) and self- ...

5. mdpi.com mdpi.com/2078-1547/14/4/40

The Design and Testing of a Text Message for Use ... This approach helped researchers to best tailor the text message to the local community prior to using it as an informational nudge in the food insecurity ...

6. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12380405/

Development and Feasibility of a Novel mHealth Resource ... To fill this gap and overcome previously described barriers to information-based, food security–related interventions, we developed Text Connect ...

7. nature.com nature.com/articles/s41598-025-20670-x

Text mining and machine learning reveal global ... This study applies Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Machine Learning (ML) to investigate global historical trends in food security.