Study to Improve Healthy Eating for At-Risk Older Adults

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This application, funded by the American Association of Retired Persons(AARP) Foundation, is to implement the Healthy Eating for at Risk Older Adults (HERO) initiative. This initiative will address barriers of affordability, and reduced mobility by providing older adults with nutritious foods that are usually difficult to purchase due to high cost; delivering needed foods to individuals in their homes; tailoring food delivery frequency based on level of food insecurity; and offering basic nutrition education.

Official Title
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Healthy Eating for At-Risk Older Adults (HERO)

Conditions
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Biometrics

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Food deliveries


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: 55 years old or older if member of Boston Medical Center's Elders Living at Home Program: Not currently homeless and expect to live at current residence or in the area for next 6 months if NOT member of Boston Medical Center's Elders Living at Home Program: Not currently homeless, live at public housing development, and plan to live there for at least next 6 months Able to understand, speak and read English Exclusion Criteria: Follows a special diet that cannot be accommodated, as ascertained by clinical judgment of the nurse.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 55 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: food deliveries<br>After baseline screening, participants receive weekly or bi-weekly food deliveries and brief nutrition education. | Behavioral: Food deliveries<br>* Frequency of food deliveries is based on level of food insecurity at baseline (i.e., more food insecurity receives more frequent food deliveries). Deliveries are tailored to the diet of the client (e.g., consist of soft foods if participant has trouble chewing; has more fruits and vegetables if that was a food category the participant at less of at baseline). The brief nutrition education is a review of basic nutrition concepts and healthy eating ideas.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| body composition | percent body fat | 6 months | 
| BMI | Body mass index | 6 months | 
| weight | total body weight in pounds | 6 months | 
| blood pressure | systolic and diastolic blood pressure | 6 months | 
| blood glucose | measurement of blood glucose | 6 months | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| nutritional risk | food frequency questionnaire assessing levels of food intake in pre-specified categories (e.g., fruits and vegetables) | 6 months | 
| food insecurity | measurement of food insecurity as assessed by standard questionnaire | 6 months | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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food insecurity, older adults, nutrition, food deliveries