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

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 Text Connect for addressing food insecurity?

Research shows that sending text messages with nutrition information to SNAP participants led to positive changes, like increased fruit and vegetable intake and improved perceptions of the SNAP program. This suggests that text-based interventions can effectively support better food choices and enhance well-being among food-insecure individuals. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is it safe to use text messages for food and nutrition education?

The studies reviewed did not report any safety concerns related to using text messages for food and nutrition education. Participants generally had positive experiences and appreciated receiving the information. ^{1 3 6 7 8}

How does the Text Connect treatment for food insecurity differ from other treatments?

Text Connect is unique because it uses text messages to provide nutrition education and support directly to individuals experiencing food insecurity, which is a novel approach compared to traditional food assistance programs that typically focus on providing food or financial aid. This method leverages mobile technology to reach a large audience, offering information on healthy eating and food management, which can help improve dietary habits and optimize food resources. ^{1 3 4 9 10}

What is the purpose of this trial?

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a novel text-message-based intervention is a more effective method for providing food resource information to families of recently hospitalized children who are experiencing food insecurity compared to the current standard practice of a paper handout delivered at the time of hospital discharge. The hypotheses the investigators seek to prove are: 1. That the Text Connect intervention will have greater reach and engagement and be more effective in facilitating connection to food resources than receiving a paper handout alone. 2. That the Text Connect intervention will improve household food security to a greater degree than a paper handout alone.

Eligibility Criteria

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

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

Treatment Details

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.

Participant Groups

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+

Findings from Research

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]

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]

References

1. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Perceptions and Experiences of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Participants Related to Receiving Food and Nutrition-Related Text Messages Sent Agency-Wide: Findings from Focus Groups in San Diego County, California. [2023]

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

Complexities of Addressing Food Insecurity in an Urban Population. [2020]

3. Canada pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Feasibility and Response to the San Diego County, California, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Agency Sending Food and Nutrition Text Messages to All Participants: Quasi-Experimental Web-Based Survey Pilot Study. [2023]

4. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Moving Food Assistance into the Digital Age: A Scoping Review. [2022]

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

Feasibility of a food-based diabetes self-management education intervention for food insecure patients with type 2 diabetes: a convergent mixed methods study. [2023]

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

Strengths and limitations of computer assisted telephone interviews (CATI) for nutrition data collection in rural Kenya. [2020]

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

Assessing the use of cell phones to monitor health and nutrition interventions: Evidence from rural Guatemala. [2020]

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

Feasibility of bidirectional text messages in evaluating a text-based nutrition education program for low-income parents: Results from the Text2BHealthy program. [2018]

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

Text4baby: development and implementation of a national text messaging health information service. [2021]

10. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Applying a Multi-Dimensional Digital Food and Nutrition Literacy Model to Inform Research and Policies to Enable Adults in the U.S. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to Make Healthy Purchases in the Online Food Retail Ecosystem. [2022]