Search

BACKGROUND: Nutrition plays a vital role in children's physical and emotional health. More than half of school age children's calories are provided in the school food environment, making school interventions an opportunity to address child nutrition. METHODS: The Creating Health Environments for Schools (CHEFS) program is designed to leverage local resources to create customized solutions that improve the nutritional content of school food and encourage children to choose healthier food. There are 8 components: (1) customizing nutrition plans, (2) modifying/replacing menu items, (3) helping procure healthier food, (4) providing equipment grants, (5) training cafeteria staff, (6) implementing environmental changes and nudges, (7) engaging students and parents, and (8) supporting sustainability. Supporting child nutrition directors is key to facilitating cooperation with schools. IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL HEALTH POLICY, PRACTICE, AND EQUITY: Menu modifications and procurement are interrelated and depend on successfully collaborating with corporate, independent, and local food services organizations. Limited school budgets require low or no‐cost solutions and staff training. Student and parent engagement are critical to facilitate culturally‐appropriate solutions that increase awareness of healthy food. CONCLUSIONS: Every school district has particular resources and constraints. CHEFs engaged stakeholders to design customized solutions and encourage healthier nutrition for school children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People with food insecurity experience type 2 diabetes (T2D) at higher rates than others while lacking the resources to manage the disease. In order to improve the health of food-insecure individuals with T2D, interventions must address nutrition at multiple levels. Delivering Health utilizes healthy eating and active living lifestyle programs to address food insecurity and diabetes management for food-insecure people with T2D. This program is designed to help Arkansans with T2D and food insecurity. The program includes interventions at three levels: 12 weeks home delivery of T2D-appropriate food boxes with adapted education materials to food-insecure individuals with T2D; dissemination of education materials (diabetes-friendly toolkit and training) that support the nutrition of T2D clients to food pantries in Arkansas; and development of an interprofessional health education (IPE) course to increase food security assessments and dietary interventions for T2D patients. Biometric data, measures of food security, food pantry utilization, health history, medications, and Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities are gathered from individuals; survey data is collected from food pantries and interprofessional health students. One hundred and one food-insecure people with T2D have been recruited, 92 pantries have received a diabetes-friendly toolkit and training, and 241 health profession students have completed an IPE course. Pantry surveys show that trainings have increased the ability of most food pantries to improve client health, that over half have increased the use of diabetes-related components, but that few had implemented operational changes. Seventy-six percent of students reported this was a valuable educational activity. Real-world constraints often limit the ability of food pantries to support clients with T2D, but most are willing to implement changes when given support; the availability of healthy food is often limited, so some pantries have requested help procuring food. The IPE module is effective in training future healthcare professionals about how to treat patients with both T2D and food insecurity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A qualitative formative approach was used to explore food pantry clients' needs, preferences, and recommendations regarding food received from food pantries. Fifty adult clients of six Arkansas food pantries were interviewed in English, Spanish, or Marshallese. Data analysis used the constant comparative qualitative methodology. In choice and minimal choice pantries, three themes emerged: clients need increased quantities of food, particularly more proteins and dairy; clients desire higher quality food, including healthy food and food not close to expiration; and clients desire familiar foods and food appropriate for their health needs. System level policy changes are needed to address clients' recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Characterizing food pantry (FP) clients' FP usage patterns may provide opportunities to tailor health-related interventions. Respondents (n = 245) at seven FPs reported their frequency and reliance on FPs and their sociodemographics, health status, and health-related trade-offs. Clients were categorized via latent class analysis. Higher FP usage was associated with being older, having a household member with heart disease, and putting off buying medicine to buy food. Lower FP usage was associated with higher levels of education and having a household member with cancer. Findings highlight the potential importance of measuring FP clients' degree of FP use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Latinx and Marshallese populations experienced significant COVID-19 disparities in Arkansas, as well as high rates of food insecurity. This case study describes a partnership to rapidly deliver food to isolated and quarantined individuals with COVID-19. It focuses on the project's initial three weeks (June 19–July 2, 2020) of operation in which 531 home deliveries of food boxes were made to 2,192 unique individuals in 373 unique households. This community partnership was possible because of existing relationships established prior to the pandemic and leveraged to rapidly reach and respond to acute need in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]