Evaluation of Demonstrations to End Childhood Hunger - VA

Food Insecurity Among Children Clinical Trial

— EDECHVA  

Official title:

Evaluation of Demonstrations to End Childhood Hunger - VA

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT04218747
• Other study ID #: AG-3198-C-14-0019 (Virginia)
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: September 2016
• Est. completion date: May 2017

Study information

• Verified date: December 2019
• Source: USDA Food and Nutrition Service
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The 2010 Child Nutrition Reauthorization provided funding to test innovative strategies to end childhood hunger and food insecurity. Demonstration projects were funded in Chickasaw Nation, Kentucky, Navajo Nation, Nevada, and Virginia. This study focuses on Virginia. A selection of schools were randomly assigned to either a treatment or control group. Children in treatment schools received: (1) three meals during the school day and food packages for weekends and school breaks; (2) $60 monthly Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) benefits during summer months if they were eligible for FRP meals; and (3) nutrition education for their parents. The control group operated under "business as usual."

Description:

Objective: To reduce hunger 365 days a year in households with schoolchildren by transforming schools into food hubs and providing nutrition education to parents.

Target Population: Elementary (n=30), middle (n=6), and high schools (n=2) in rural and urban VA. All schools had low academic performance and at least 50 percent of children eligible for free and reduced-price (FRP) meals.

Intervention: Schools were randomly assigned to either a treatment or control group. Children in treatment schools received: (1) three meals during the school day and food packages for weekends and school breaks; (2) $60 monthly Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) benefits during summer months if they were eligible for FRP meals; and (3) nutrition education for their parents. The control group operated under "business as usual." Note that the $60 monthly benefit was not included in the evaluation of the demonstration.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 4750
• Est. completion date: May 2017
• Est. primary completion date: May 2017
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 5 Years to 18 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• A selection of elementary, middle, and high schools in rural and urban Virginia, USA.

• Schools must have had low academic performance and at least 50% or children eligible for free and reduced price through the National School Lunch Program or participating in the Community Eligibility Provision.

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Food Insecurity Among Children

Intervention

Behavioral:
• VA 365 Demonstration Benefits
Reducing hunger 365 days a year in households with school children by transforming schools into food hubs ( free breakfast, lunch, supper, and food backpacks for the weekend) and providing nutrition education to parents.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
n/a

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
USDA Food and Nutrition Service	Mathematica

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Food Insecurity among Children	Measured by the United States Department of Agriculture's Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM).; Affirming 2 or more out of the 8 child-level items in the HFSSM. Higher scores generally indicates worsening food insecurity.	Previous 30 days: once before intervention start and once during intervention implementation
Secondary	Very Low Food Insecurity among Children	Measured by the United States Department of Agriculture's Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM).; Affirming 5 or more out of the 8 child-level items in the HFSSM. Higher scores generally indicates worsening food insecurity.	Previous 30 days: once before intervention start and once during intervention implementation
Secondary	Food Insecurity among Adults	Measured by the United States Department of Agriculture's Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM).; Affirming 3 or more out of the 10 adult-level items in the HFSSM. Higher scores generally indicates worsening food insecurity.	Previous 30 days: once before intervention start and once during intervention implementation
Secondary	Household Food Insecurity	Measured by the United States Department of Agriculture's Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM).; Affirming 3 or more out of the 18 items in the HFSSM. Higher scores generally indicates worsening food insecurity.	Previous 30 days: once before intervention start and once during intervention implementation

External Links

•   Final Report