Evaluation of Demonstrations to End Childhood Hunger - VA

NCT04218747 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: AG-3198-C-14-0019 (Virginia)
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 4,750
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief 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."

Conditions

Food Insecurity Among Children

Keywords

Food Security; National School Lunch Program (NSLP); School Breakfast Program (SBP); Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP); Food Backpacks

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• 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 Outcomes (3)

• Very Low Food Insecurity among Children

  Previous 30 days: once before intervention start and once during intervention implementation

• Food Insecurity among Adults

  Previous 30 days: once before intervention start and once during intervention implementation

• Household Food Insecurity

  Previous 30 days: once before intervention start and once during intervention implementation

Study Arms (2)

VA 365 Demonstration Benefits

EXPERIMENTAL

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.

Behavioral: VA 365 Demonstration Benefits

Control Group

NO INTERVENTION

Schools in the control group operated under "business as usual."

Interventions

VA 365 Demonstration Benefits BEHAVIORAL

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.

VA 365 Demonstration Benefits

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 5 Years - 18 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• 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.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• USDA Food and Nutrition Service: lead
• Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.: collaborator

Related Links

• Final Report

Study Officials

• Michael P Burke, PhD

  USDA Food and Nutrition Service

  STUDY DIRECTOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: FED
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 12, 2019
• First Posted: January 6, 2020
• Study Start: September 1, 2016
• Primary Completion: May 1, 2017
• Study Completion: May 1, 2017
• Last Updated: January 6, 2020

Record last verified: 2019-12

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share