Clinical trial NCT04218747: Evaluation of Demonstrations to End Childhood Hunger - VA
Official title: Evaluation of Demonstrations to End Childhood Hunger - VA
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
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
Lead sponsor: USDA Food and Nutrition Service
Sponsor class: FED
Collaborators: name: Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
First posted: 2020-01-06
Enrollment: 4750
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 5
Maximum age (years): 18
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

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."

Detailed description: Objective: To reduce hunger 365 days a year in households with schoolchildren by transforming schools into food hubs and providing nutrition education to parents.

Target Population: Elementary (n=30), middle (n=6), and high schools (n=2) in rural and urban VA. All schools had low academic performance and at least 50 percent of children eligible for free and reduced-price (FRP) meals.

Intervention: 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." Note that the $60 monthly benefit was not included in the evaluation of the demonstration.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* 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.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Food Insecurity among Children
timeFrame: Previous 30 days: once before intervention start and once during intervention implementation
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Very Low Food Insecurity among Children
timeFrame: Previous 30 days: once before intervention start and once during intervention implementation
measure: Food Insecurity among Adults
timeFrame: Previous 30 days: once before intervention start and once during intervention implementation
measure: Household Food Insecurity
timeFrame: Previous 30 days: once before intervention start and once during intervention implementation
Other outcomes:
Locations:
Study officials:
affiliation: USDA Food and Nutrition Service
name: Michael P Burke, PhD
role: STUDY_DIRECTOR
References: