Clinical trial NCT05745376: Addressing Disparities in Food Access Among Young Children in Louisiana: A Farm to ECE Approach
Official title: Addressing Disparities in Food Access Among Young Children in Louisiana: A Farm to ECE Approach
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Food Insecurity
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Nutrition, Healthy
Lead sponsor: Xavier University of Louisiana.
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2023-02-27
Enrollment: 228
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 99
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: intervention and comparison
Primary purpose: OTHER

Brief summary: The goal of this pilot project is to increase access to healthy food, improve diets, and reduce food insecurity and, in turn, reduce health disparities among low-income, minority children under the age of five attending early childcare centers. Specific aims are to: 1) examine the feasibility of a six-month Farm to ECE intervention and 2) collect preliminary data to evaluate the efficacy of the program to 2.1) improve the ECE nutrition environment from baseline to follow-up; 2.2) increase access to local fruits and vegetables among children at ECEs from baseline to follow-up; and 2.3) increase parent knowledge and use of community food resources. The investigators will use this preliminary data to develop a larger scale project to test intervention efficacy.

Detailed description: The pilot study will take place at four centers within a network of Catholic Charities Early Head Start and Head Start Centers in New Orleans, Louisiana. Two centers will serve as intervention sites and two as comparison sites. Over 90% of the network centers' students identify as Black, and all qualify for federally funded free meals and snacks. The intervention will include: (1) assisting ECEs with conducting self-assessments; (2) connecting ECEs with local farmers and food producers; (3) providing technical assistance for menu changes, procuring healthy food, identifying and implementing best feeding practices and policies for the environment; (4) delivering nutrition education; and (5) connecting parents/guardians with local food resources and affordable fresh food to be consumed at home. The intervention will be implemented for 6 months.

Aim 1 uses a cross-sectional mixed methods design, collecting both quantitative and qualitative data in intervention centers. Aim 2 uses a pre-post design with a comparison group, collecting quantitative survey data at the center and parent level. At baseline and six-month follow-up, the investigators will conduct short surveys with staff and parents/caregivers of children attending ECEs.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria (Key informant interviews and center assessments):

* Director or staff of participating center
* 18 years of age minimum

Exclusion Criteria (Key informant interviews and center assessments):

• Staff not involved with educational programming

Inclusion Criteria (Parent/guardian surveys):

* Parent or guardian of current student at participating center
* 18 years of age minimum

Exclusion Criteria (Parent/guardian surveys):

• None

Primary outcomes:
measure: incidence of parent/guardian use of community food resources
timeFrame: 6 months
measure: nutrition environment score measured by NAPSACC
timeFrame: 6 months
measure: percent completion of program components (fidelity)
timeFrame: 6 months
measure: satisfaction score with program implementation
timeFrame: 6 months
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: New Orleans
country: United States
facility: Xavier University Of Louisiana
state: Louisiana
Study officials:
affiliation: Xavier University of Louisiana.
name: Megan Knapp, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: