This study evaluates the effect of a six-month fruit and vegetable voucher program on satisfaction, dietary quality, and health outcomes among pediatric and young adult kidney transplant recipients experiencing food insecurity.
Improving Dietary Quality and Health Outcomes: A Fruit and Vegetable Voucher Program for Kidney Transplant Patients With Food Insecurity.
This is a single-arm, prospective interventional study enrolling 18 participants aged 6 to 25 years who have undergone kidney transplantation and screened positive for food insecurity within the past six months.
Participants will receive monthly fruit and vegetable vouchers for six months, distributed via Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards. The EBT cards, managed by an external partner, will be automatically reloaded monthly and be redeemable at participating retailers.
Data collection will include participant-reported satisfaction surveys post-intervention, food security and dietary quality assessments at baseline and study end, biophysical outcomes (BMI, blood pressure) from routine clinical care, laboratory markers related to kidney and nutritional health (serum potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, albumin, bicarbonate, fasting glucose or HbA1c, and creatinine/GFR), tacrolimus variability to serve as a proxy for medication adherence.
No extra clinical visits or lab draws beyond standard care are required. The findings aim to inform future strategies to address food insecurity in transplant populations.
