A new $3.8 million federal grant from the National Institutes of Health will fund a groundbreaking study on the impact of “medically tailored” groceries to support the health of low-income, high-risk pregnant women. The study is led by researchers at Case Western Reserve University in collaboration with the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, MetroHealth Medical Center, and University Hospitals of Cleveland. The research will expand the Nourishing Beginnings program, now called Nourishing Tomorrow.
The program aims to tackle food insecurity, which can lead to serious health issues for both mothers and babies. For pregnant women, not having access to nutritious food can result in health disparities. Medically tailored groceries (MTGs), which are selected by nutrition professionals, are offered to pregnant women to address this problem. These groceries can be picked up or delivered for several weeks or months during pregnancy.
However, the traditional model of MTGs often requires transportation, cooking skills, and the right equipment to prepare meals. The new study will examine whether offering MTGs in different ways—such as home delivery or pickups from medical centers—along with nutrition and cooking education, can improve the health of mothers and babies.
Elaine Borawski, the Angela Bowen Williamson Professor of Community Nutrition at Case Western Reserve University, and Alissa Glenn, director of community health and nutrition at the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, will lead the study. They will track 360 pregnant women facing food insecurity, recruited from University Hospitals and MetroHealth Medical Center.
“Our goal is to determine if medically tailored groceries can improve health outcomes for both mothers and babies,” said Glenn. “Food security is fundamental to health, and increasing access to nutritious food can prevent and treat many health conditions. Food-is-medicine (FIM) interventions, which combine food access with clinical care, are growing in popularity. Programs like WIC and SNAP are well known, but newer models include produce prescriptions and medically tailored meals and groceries.”
The study will offer three types of MTGs to participants: the traditional model, which involves pickup at a clinic; home delivery of groceries; and home delivery with added nutrition and culinary education. The research team will collect data at three stages: when deliveries begin, at or near the time of delivery, and six months postpartum.
The researchers hope the study will show that the program can improve the health of babies and mothers. If successful, it may lead to the inclusion of MTGs in Medicaid, Medicare, and other insurance programs. The Greater Cleveland Food Bank plans to offer the program to health systems once funding sources are established.
While there is growing interest in food-is-medicine interventions, research on their effectiveness has been limited due to small sample sizes and a lack of clinical outcomes. Few studies have focused on high-risk pregnancies, despite the critical need for good nutrition during pregnancy.
“Pregnant individuals facing food insecurity are twice as likely to have premature babies,” Borawski said. “For over 30 years, Cuyahoga County has had one of the highest infant mortality rates in the country, with prematurity being the leading cause. Our study aims to connect MTGs with better health outcomes, providing evidence for healthcare systems to integrate these approaches into patient care.”
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