Advancing North Shore Community Health Through Ocean-raised and faRm-grown Foods (ANCHOR Study)

NCT07703501 | Active Not Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: STUDY00006728
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 50
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study is testing a new way to support healthy eating by providing free meal kits through a food pantry. Adults who use The Open Door food pantry will receive meal kits that include fresh produce, seafood, and other ingredients, along with simple recipes and optional cooking demonstrations, over a 3-month period. The goal is to learn whether these meal kits are helpful, easy to use, and a good fit for the community. Researchers will also look at whether they help improve access to healthy foods, diet quality, and confidence with cooking. Participants will be asked to complete short surveys at the beginning and end of the study, and some may be invited to join a group discussion to share their experiences. Overall, the study aims to improve programs that connect people to healthy, locally sourced food and to inform future efforts to support nutrition and food access in the community.

Conditions

Diet Quality; Prevention

Keywords

Food is Medicine; Medically supportive groceries; Local food; DASH diet

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Feasibility and Acceptability of Medically Supportive Meal Kit Program

  The primary outcome assesses whether providing meal kits with locally sourced seafood and produce through a food pantry is practical and well-received. This includes measures such as participation and retention rates, adherence to receiving meal kits, and participant feedback on satisfaction, ease of use, and cultural relevance of the meal kits and materials.

  From enrollment to the end of the study (end of 12-weeks)

Other Outcomes (5)

• Food security

  From enrollment to the end of the study (end of 12-weeks)

• Nutrition Security

  From enrollment to the end of the study (end of 12-weeks)

• Cooking & Food Preparation Skills

  From enrollment to the end of the study (end of 12-weeks)

Study Arms (1)

Medically supportive meal kits

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this single-arm pilot study will receive a nutrition-focused meal kit intervention delivered through a community food pantry. Over a 12-week period, participants will receive three meal kits per week during their regular pantry visits. Each meal kit includes fresh produce, locally sourced seafood, and pantry staple ingredients (e.g., grains, seasonings), bundled together with simple, culturally relevant recipes designed to support preparation of healthy meals at home. In addition to meal kit distribution, participants will be invited to attend optional onsite cooking demonstrations led by community partners, which provide hands-on guidance for preparing the recipes and using the provided ingredients. Participants will also complete a baseline and follow-up survey, and a subset may be invited to participate in focus groups to share feedback on their experience with the program.

Behavioral: Medically supportive meal kits

Interventions

Medically supportive meal kits BEHAVIORAL

Participants in this single-arm pilot study will receive a nutrition-focused meal kit intervention delivered through a community food pantry. Over a 12-week period, participants will receive three meal kits per week during their regular pantry visits. Each meal kit includes fresh produce, locally sourced seafood, and pantry staple ingredients (e.g., grains, seasonings), bundled together with simple, culturally relevant recipes designed to support preparation of healthy meals at home. In addition to meal kit distribution, participants will be invited to attend optional onsite cooking demonstrations led by community partners, which provide hands-on guidance for preparing the recipes and using the provided ingredients. Participants will also complete a baseline and follow-up survey, and a subset may be invited to participate in focus groups to share feedback on their experience with the program.

Also known as: Medically supportive groceries, Food is Medicine, Meal kits

Medically supportive meal kits

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Participants must meet all of the following:
• Be 18 years of age or older
• Be a client of The Open Door food pantry in Gloucester, MA
• Be able to provide informed consent

You may not qualify if:

• Under age 18
• Unable to provide informed consent
• Have a food allergy, medical condition, or dietary restriction that makes it unsafe to eat the study foods (e.g., seafood or milk allergy, liquid diet)
• Another member of the same household is already participating (only one participant per household)
• Planning to move out of the area within the next 4 months
• Previously participated in a healthy meal kit program at The Open Door
• Do not have reliable transportation to pick up meal kits

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Tufts University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Tufts University (Investigator site) The Open Door (Recruitment & Intervention site)

Gloucester, Massachusetts, 01930, United States

Location

Study Officials

• Kelseanna Hollis-Hansen, PhD, MPH

  Tufts University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 8, 2026
• First Posted: July 14, 2026
• Study Start: June 2, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2026
• Last Updated: July 20, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, ICF, CSR
• Time Frame: Within a year of study completion
• Access Criteria: Those who create an account and request access via Tufts Dataverse

Locations

US (1)